The Re-Ignition
by LOrenz0
Summary: 5 years after the Straw Hat Pirates have conquered the Grand Line, Ain, the former hand of Admiral Zephyr, hunts down the elusive First Mate in hopes of answering her hesitation. She gets more than she bargained for when a simple meeting turns into the next-defining adventure of the Pirate era. Future-AU.
1. Chapter 1

**What's up Everyone! After a LONG hiatus, this is a LEGIT story now. Leave your thoughts and comments in the reviews.**

Summary: 5 years after the Straw Hat Pirates have conquered the Grand Line, Ain, the former hand of Admiral Zephyr, hunts down the elusive First Mate in hopes of answering her hesitation. She got more than she bargained for when a simple meeting turns into the next-defining adventure of the Pirate era.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: This Old Man...**

 _"He Who Commands the Seas, Has Command of Everything"_

-Nico Robin, following the "Fall of Mariejois"

One-Eyed Monster. The Wolf Demon. Strongest Man in the World. The Swordsman on top of all Swordsmen.

The man had countless epithets following the events of the "Second Coming of the King." More commonly, this man was known as Roranoa Zoro.

5 years ago, the legendary Straw Hat Pirates climbed to the top of this era. As to mark their ownership of all 7 seas, the band of pirates raided the Holy Land, Mariejois, liberating anyone the Celestial Dragons held captive. In the process, the once almighty symbol of the World Government's strength was burnt to the ground. With no one left to challenge them, this act cemented their status as the most powerful of the era, and that a dynasty was soon to begin. However, it was at the height of their fame that the Straw Hat Pirates suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Speculation arose that they had all perished, serving as a reminder that no strength was unlimited and empires fall as quickly as they rise.

To this day, a lone flag bearing their mark stands at the top of the Red Line, amidst the ruined palace as a monument to freedom and a challenge to those who would seek to extinguish that idea. Legends would say that the ghost of the second pirate king would erase all those who would attempt to remove the flag, ensuring that it would remain until the end of time—or at least until the next era began.

Shortly after, a rumor spread that the legendary First-Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates resided on a isolated island deep within the New World alone. Thousands of brave (or foolish) sailors set out to find him, whether for fame or for for his throne— and Ain was among the numerous who would try.

* * *

The former Right-Hand of the infamous Ex-Admiral Zephyr had spent the last 2 years following leads that finally had her arrive at the ship-island of Water 7. The city used to be much easier to reach in the past as it was in the first half of Grand Line. Many of the innovations and infrastructure improvements came only when Mayor Iceberg decided to "sail" the island out of Paradise and into the New World. The "City of Innovation" was now the link between Fishman Island and the rest of the New World.

Whoever it was that lead her here, it better have been worth the journey.

Ain was currently at a tavern in the less developed area within the City of Innovation. In her hand, she held an elegantly written, but anonymous note.

 _"I know what you're searching for. Meet me at the Beloved Beggar in 3 days. You'll know it's me when you see me. :) "_

Ain wisely donned a cloak and hood, hiding herself from the many pirates or bounty hunters that loomed the city. As a developed city in the New World, even some citizens were stronger than Paradise pirates.

She took another sip of her drink as she thought back on what brought upon this search.

 _"I can see hesitation in your technique."_

"Whatever makes you hesitate, cut it off and leave it behind you."

The words rang through her head. And they stung. She had grown immensely in the past 5 years and this time, there was no hesitation in her. _She'll prove it to him._

"Another round, mister," she called out as she finished her glass.

"Not so much Miss if you're planning to set sail, lest you fall victim to the roaring waves intoxicated," nodded the bartender as he continued wiping the counter.

"Help me with something..." she trailed off before looking him straight in the eye, "The Pirate Hunter, Roranoa Zoro. Have you heard of him?"

The name silenced all ongoing conversations in the bar. Even the rowdiest patrons stared at her in horror. A few began muttering silent prayers to the sky, as if to ask for protection or vindication from their sins. Even the bartender himself looked at her with fear-filled eyes.

"Not so loud next time, little Violet. That name's cursed," came a voice as the tavern doors opened. The newly arrived patron had a strange taste in clothing to say the least. Her scandalous outfit had her in nothing but a bra, tight leggings, and a long white-furred coat.

But she radiated power.

"The next drink's on me, honey," she said, motioning to the bartender who quickly complied. Her low-brimmed cowboy hat hid her eyes as she took a seat next to the dumbfounded Ain.

The patrons of the bar returned to their previous activities, albeit a lot more quietly with the woman's arrival.

"Can I help you?" Ain asked her warily.

"Depends," she responded. "With a 500 million berry bounty reward, the only help that I need is choosing what to buy…" the women said nonchalantly.

Ain immediately tensed up. _"Damn! She saw through me!"_

As Ain ran through her options, the woman held her hands up.

"I'm not looking for a fight, but let me tell you, hun..." she trailed off as the bartender arrived with both their drinks, "I'm for someone as well."

This perked Ain's interest as she recognized her. "You're the informant." The woman smiled in return.

"I have a ship and a map. And if you are willing to take the journey, they are both yours to keep."

Ain couldn't believe what she was hearing. _This woman was her final lead._

"Why? What do you have to gain from this?"

"You'll understand soon enough, little Violet," she said as a barrage of cannon fire suddenly blared from outside. "Oh my. It looks like I've been found out."

As Ain and the rest of the patrons began to panic, the women motioned for them to continue sitting. "Relax, dear. No need to thank me for this favour," She said, smiling at Ain. "After all, what is that old Pirate adage? 'You take what you can get…"

"Give nothing back," Ain finished. A quiet gust of wind blew through the tavern as she downed the rest of her drink. When she set her glass down, there was no trace of the woman. On the nearest table, she found her empty glass, some flower petals, a few coins, and a note.

The bar was stunned silent and Ain took the opportunity to leave. "Thanks for the drink, mister," she said as she stood up and picked up the mysterious note.

 _"Here are the things that humans can't stop: A human's will, his dreams, and the change of an era. As long as human long for freedom, he surely can't stop these things_

-Monkey D. Luffy, the King of the Pirates.

P.S. Your ship is on Dock 2. Sorry about the mess."

As Ain walked outside, she could only gasp as she saw a fleet of 20 government warships, all destroyed and floating in the ocean as the island slowly pulled away from the area. She saw the ship that the women had left behind.

As she boarded, she concluded that without a doubt, it was the mysterious woman who sank all those warships. _Just who was she._

 **(A/N: If you can't guess, you're probably thinking too hard.)**

* * *

The journey she took was largely uneventful as the ship plowed through the New World weather with unnatural force. When she set sail a little over a week ago, she discovered that the ship itself was self-navigated and possessed technology greater than what was known in the current era.

Oddly enough, the only substance required to fuel the behemoth was cola, which the ship had plenty in stock. The coating bubble that had the ship surrounded when she set sail let none of the harsh weather effects enter and the double-barreled cannons that protruded from the bow erased any threat that came its way.

That included typhoons. And tsunamis. And unfortunate pirates.

But the farther she sailed on, the fewer ships there were. In the final days of her journey, there was nothing but Sea Kings and pitch-dark skies. As she got closer to her destination, the normally dark skies were lit up by what seemingly red pillars in the distance. Only when she was at the island's doorstep did she realize what they were. Flaming tornadoes.

Surprisingly, they subsided as Ain drew closer to the shore until only the natural light from the island remained. The ship automatically shrunk down as she disembarked until it was a miniature version of itself in a bubble which she hid in her cloak.

"The Devil's Sunrise, Arrod Island," she said as she disembarked.

The island itself was exactly how she pictured Hell to look. Fire and brimstone, volcanic eruptions, no trees or wildlife, dark clouds and lighting.

"Exactly…" she muttered to herself.

She yelped as another geyser erupted near her, burning a portion of her cloak. "I'm pretty sure I'll die here…" she said muttered again.

Though she had honed her Modo-Modo powers to where the volcanic ground grew grass around her footprints with every step, the foreboding sense of corruption only grew as she trudged closer to the island center. With each step she took forward, the land grew more resistant to her powers and the less able to affect the ground. As she neared the center of the island, she saw the large, volcanic mountain, towering over the landscape like an apocalyptic figure with lightning and lava spewing from its core. The corruption was too great at this point and the ground could no longer be reverted.

He was up there. If not for the cheesy setup that crossed her mind as she walked towards the path, she could feel the immense aura that was radiating on the summit.

"Up there, huh?"

All of a sudden, a fiery creature had charged at her. An angry, fiery, red bear.

"What the–" she barely managed to get out before she rolled to the side, dodging its powerful body and the bear crashed into a nearby boulder, but its monstrous strength allowed it to break out just by rearing its head.

"So much for no wildlife…" she thought to herself.

The beast was enormous, about the size of a small boat. It seemed to be made of fire, and that was further confirmed when it breathed a fireball at her. Ain quickly stepped back, analyzing her situation.

It was too dangerous to approach it, so using her "reverse age" on it was not an option. Instead, she took out her twin pistols and aimed it at the bear. Semi-automatic, seastone-laced rounds.

"Let's go." And with that the bear charged. As it approached, she rolled forward so that when the bear jumped, she was able to duck under its belly. The beast fell forward, but before it was able to get up, a pistol was already aimed between its eyes. "Thanks for the warmup," she said as she fired. The beast exploded into fire and ash as Ain finally set her gun down. "What is up with this island?" she muttered to herself as she started to walk up the mountain's trail.

* * *

A purple haze surrounded the peak against the backdrop of thunder and lightning. At the center of the volcano, stood a figure on a single pillar of rock as lava flowed around looking out into the horizon. Roranoa Zoro.

"And so she returns…" said Zoro without turning back. A red and gold coat wrapped his shoulders as he paid her no mind. His signature bandanna was still wrapped on his left arm, but most menacingly, was his hair that seemed to flicker between white and green before finally settling down on the latter. "But for what is still uncertain..."

"A question," she said, causing Zoro to turn his head in her direction. His face remained blank, but she felt the gaze that his single eye gave.

"I feel that you came for a lot more than just a question..." Zoro said as he slowly drew his sword half-way out from an ornate red and black scabbard.

"Settle down," he said into the air as he sheathed his sword with the same speed he used to draw it. The island responded as lava stopped flowing from the volcanic crater and the thunder and lightning receded back into the clouds.

The heaviness of the atmosphere dispersed as Zoro fully turned to face Ain. "Shodai Kitetsu" she murmured.

"You haven't changed. Your aura remains the same, and still cling to that cloak..."

Ain was a bit taken back by his statement. "It's… a memento of the past… and my teacher."

"Understandable," he responded. "And now onto your question..."

"Hesitation," she began. "I came–"

"To see if you have overcome your hesitation since we have fought…" Zoro finished. "I know why you came."

"How did–"

"I read your mind? Observation Haki is a useful skill to pick up," Zoro interrupted once again. "In fact, I picked up your aura while you were docked at Water 7 about a week ago…"

 _"That far away?!"_ she thought. Shaking the thought off, she continued, "Is there any hesitation left in me?"

"Why must I be the one to answer? You know the only entity capable of answering such a question, and yet you request the opinion of another…"

"You're the only one who recognized it."

A few moments passed by before Zoro finally nodded and motioned for Ain to sit next to him. "Then let's talk." From a compartment within nearby boulder, he took out a small chest. Inside was tea leaves, a kettle, and some water which he began steeping.

"Not sake?" asked Ain.

"A friend of mine once told me: sake is for celebrating, but tea is for conversations." said Zoro.

 _"It had to be the skeleton,"_ Ain thought as Zoro handed her a cup.

"It's been years since I've had a visitor, not many make it this far in the Grand Line, much less the New World." Zoro said as he took a sip of his tea.

Ain flashed a grin as she reached into her cloak and pulled out the miniature ship, which immediately caused Zoro to raise an eyebrow.

"I see…" he responded as if it explained everything.

"Why are you here by yourself? Where is the rest of your crew?"

"They're… gone…"

"My condolences."

"No, nothing like that. What I meant was… I left the Straw Hat Pirates."

There was a longer silence. Zoro took another sip as Ain did the same.

"And that's why the Pirate King's right hand is alone on the most violate island in the world?"

"Right. After we left Raftel, the crew understood my decision to leave. It was painful, but I needed the time to… meditate. There were some things that I couldn't understand when I was with my crew, but only myself could find."

Zoro finished his cup as he offered more details.

"The rest of the crew as well as our allies are underground for now. The Straw Hat Alliance from years earlier still stands and Law is co-captain of the Armada with Luffy. They're somewhere around the world as we speak…" he finished.

"I think you owe me a round of questions now…" said Zoro, restarting their conversation.

He looked into her eyes as she felt each word sink into her soul.

"Why must you insist on another's opinion to an answer you already know, under the guise of something completely foolish such as hesitation?

Ain was speechless, and Zoro continued.

"Stop lying to yourself. It's not hesitation that holds you back, it is doubt. Confusion. Fear."

"I—"

"You are embarrassed by the fact that, deep down inside, you doubt every decision that you ever make." Ain gritted her teeth as she felt every word tear into her. The lava around the volcanic crater began flowing as lighting and lightning once again streaked across the sky. "That is not hesitation—That. Is. Fear. You may be bold, confident, and prideful, but you are still a coward who hides from herself!"

Ain physically felt the heat rising as lava threatened to burst from the ground.

"I am none of those things!" she shouted, only for Zoro to stand up. The heavy, dark aura on the island intensified as lava geysers erupted all around them as Ain huffed from her outburst. Zoro picked Shodai off the ground and unsheathed it, as the ground rumbled in response.

"Now let us say that it is hesitation after all. How willing are you to overcome it?"

Zoro brandished Shodai, pointing it towards the north shore of the island where several marine battleships were approaching.

"It seems you have attracted a few tails on your way here," he said. "A CP0 Squadron. Marines specifically trained for exterminating devil fruit pirates. 25 ships. 800 highly skilled personnel."

Ain pulled back her black cloak revealing her twin pistols, but before she could leap off the cliff onto the ground below, a hand was on her shoulder.

"There we go. That's the first step…"

Ain smiled before leaping off the cliff, but as she did, she swore she heard the words: "Kids can't help but to be a little reckless these days…"

* * *

That damn pirate! Things were not going as planned. She thought she could use her Modo-Modo powers to reverse the terrain to her advantage, maybe the island had some rock pillars before it became a volcanic piece of slab in the middle of the ocean. Converting a whole field of pillars into lava would end the battle quickly.

"Dammit!" she cursed again as she tried to use her devil fruit powers. "The pirate should take better care of the island! The corruption here is so strong, I can't even revert the ground into anything useful!"

Immediately, Ain was off her feet and a knife was at her throat, and her dagger was knocked out of reach. Soru.

She was face-to-face with a man in what looked to be a gas mask. She could hear the wheezed breathing as the man continued to stare at her.

"500 million berry head. 'Reversal' Ain. Right hand of the ex-admiral Zephyr, rear-admiral," an orderly said calmly as he assessed her. The man on top remained silent.

"Shit," Ain cursed. These marines knew who she was and her Modo-Modo powers weren't working and she was helpless against the marine forces.

As if sensing her thoughts, the orderly responded, "Rear-Admiral Corbin is wearing a seastone necklace. It dampens the devil fruit powers of others, but not of the wearer."

Rear-Admiral Corbin motioned for all troops to retreat, seeing as their objective was complete. Ain felt a pair of seastone cuffs being put on as she continued to struggle.

"Operation successful," Corbin said with a deep, wheezing voice.

The island volcano suddenly erupted as the air grew thick and heavy. The tornadoes of fire, which were previously dormant, roared to life both annihilating the fleet of ships that waited offshore and cutting off any hope of retreat.

 **"One sword style: Demon Saw."**

An enormous red line sailed across the sea, crushing the battleships more than it cut.

"He easily cut through our seastone hulls!" an operative shouted in shock.

"I needed some exercise, anyways..." yawned a voice that Ain recognized from the top of a cliff.

"It's him!" shouted an operative. "He's here!"

"The strongest man in the world…" responded another.

Zoro took a simple step forward off of the cliff only to land with the force of a meteor. Entire platoons were launched into the air from the impact.

"Rear-Admiral!" cried some of the marines.

"This is the Pirate King's right hand…" muttered one of the marines, shaking as Zoro calmly walked over to the bound Ain.

"Don't move," was all he said before gripping the seastone cuffs and breaking it in 2.

"H-He tore the seastone handcuffs in 2!" shouted a marine shakingly. From the lava geysers erupting all around him to the way his cloak blew in the wind, Roranoa Zoro truly looked like a pissed off god of destruction, hellbent on unleashing carnage to anything in his way.

Zoro recited a familiar line he was on the receiving end of almost a decade ago. "You may believe that you are the sharks who hunt down pirates, but that is all relative." Redrawing his sword, he continued. "There are always going to be bigger fishes in the ocean…"

He dashed and diced in between the thousands of marines, cutting each down with precision. In minutes, the shores of Arrod Island became bathed in red. Logia, paramecia, zoan.

"One left…" said Zoro as he brandished Kietetsu towards the only combatant left. Ain watched as the last two combatants glared at each other.

"Corbin."

"Vergil."

Zoro remained calm, Corbin steadying himself.

"I thought the battle we fought years ago demonstrated the difference in strength between us, crow man. Weakness does not get you far in this world," Zoro simply said as he drew Shodai, the island shaking as he did so.

Ain's eyes grew wide while Zoro's remained apathetic as Corbin began to surround himself with crows.

"Take cover," Zoro told her as Ain nodded and fled behind some obsidian formations.

Corbin's body began to sprout crow-like features. His skin blackened, his gas-mask grew into a beak, and wings sprouted from his back.

"Meeting you here, Vergil, is truly unfortunate for myself. I was only assigned to track and capture 'Reversal' Ain." said Corbin. He paused. "What business do you have in protecting the girl?"

Zoro's answer came in the form of a lightning-quick sword slash sent towards him, quickly ending the fight.

"That's not for you to know," Zoro said as he sheathed Shodai, finally calming the chaotic weather. "Come here, Ain," he said as Ain left cover.

"Rear-Admiral Corbin originally came for your bounty, and followed your route towards my island." He met the downed Rear-Admiral in the eyes as he continued. "I've fought him in the past and since I have no business left with him, his life is no longer in my hands."

He then turned to Ain. "However, you were his target and now with him on his knees, his life is now within yours." Her seastone revolver was handed to her by Zoro.

Corbin merely grunted as he hung his head low.

Ain stared at her dagger as she contemplated the situation. There was no question of what the marines would do to her if she was captured and they definitely would have if Zoro did not step in.

This wasn't a hard decision. When she was hunting pirates with Zephyr as her mentor, she could count hundreds who have died by her hand. But what was it about this situation that made it so different?

"I wonder…" Zoro spoke up, "I wonder if you still have the resolve to kill? The human life is complicated when emotions are introduced. Are you still Fearful? Do you still hesitate?"

This all came down to whether Ain would continue following Zephyr's teachings or whether she could make her own. Killing for revenge would make her no different than Zephyr, and will forever keep her trapped under his ideals. She needed to follow her own path. She was no longer Zephyr's student. She was his successor.

All of these thoughts passed within the span of a minute. Both Zoro and Corbin waited for her answer quietly.

"He leaves unharmed," Ain spoke, causing both to look in surprise. "As does his men." Zoro nodded and Corbin sighed.

"This is twice that I have let you live, remember that if we ever meet again."

Rear-Admiral Corbin nodded as they embarked. "So as justice exists, we will pursue you to the ends of the earth." The battalion had left within the next hour.

"So you have finally overcome your doubt in the end." Ain nodded. "Keep going down that path, and your resolve will carry you towards the end of the journey, whatever it may be," spoke Zoro as he began to walk towards the sea.

"Your resolve today has inspired me to once more set out to sea and look for my Captain. I think I found what was searching for in the end. Wherever you go, I wish you the best and hope we will cross paths once again."

This was a crazy idea and the chances that Zoro would agree were low, but she wanted to take the gamble. This was her one chance to finally realize where her convictions lie.

"Roranoa Zoro…" she began as she watched him toss the model ship that took her here in the beginning. The waters bubbled as the ship regrew to its original size.

"Would it be alright if I-"

"Just climb on board…" he said as he held out his hand, earning a bright smile from Ain as she took it.

"It's time for an adventure," she thought, smiling as Zoro took the helm. This was a chance to test her new-found conviction against the world.

"Raise anchor and set sail!" shouted Zoro as the two pulled away from the volcanic island and began their journey.

* * *

 **A/N: Take your time to review and give me your thoughts on this story. Yes, I know the quote is by Themistocles. I don't need to be nagged.**

 **Until next time! *Cues exit music***


	2. Chapter 2

**I think my story is popular enough for a disclaimer, but idk.**

 **I don't own One-Piece.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Becoming The Devil**

The ship had sailed smoothly(?) for almost a week. Ain would occasionally look for islands from the crow's nest as Zoro helmed the vessel.

The weather was oddly calm despite it being the second half of the New World, but the two pirates paid it no mind. Sea beasts actively avoided the ship, given the power of its two crew members.

There was also a lack of other ships… but then again, this was deep in the New World. Very little-if any-sailors ever made it this far.

What actually held Ain's attention however, was Zoro's uncanny ability to operate a ship.

"Where did you learn to sail?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes at her, but Ain didn't flinch.

"A few friends taught me some things," he responded and Ain nodded, accepting his answer. She didn't notice the sigh that escaped him.

/

 _"Why am I doing witch work again?" He was promptly sent crashing to the floor._

 _"Idiot! If you die at sea, then I'll never collect my loan! Now let me recheck your work! And read Volume 3, Chapter 27 while I'm at it!"_

 _Honestly, he should have used the most recent bounty money to repay her… but then last week's great "Alcohol-Fest" would have never taken place. A sly smile stretched across his face as he recalled the event._

 _"Besides," she continued with a smile. "A directionally challenged swordsman would be bad for our reputation!"_

 _He returned a smile to her._

Zoro snapped out of his flashback as an enormous sea king resembling a whale approached. An anti-climactic shot from the front cannon hit its eye and sent the unconscious beast underwater.

 _"Hey Zoro! I bet your can't hit that rock formation's peak while I rotate the ship 127 degrees North-Northwest!"_

 _"I can't."_

 _"Then let the greatest sniper in the world teach you something before you leave!"_

"We're almost there, Ain," Zoro said to his wide-eyed companion as he returned to the helm. The thought of seeing his crew again triggered many flashbacks. From Sanji's cooking lessons, to Robin's archeological teachings, there were quite a few skills that he picked up prior to leaving.

Ain leapt down from the crow's nest and sat upon the ship's railing.

"You never told me where we were going, anyways."

"We're heading to Kuraigana Island." Ain looked at him in surprise.

"Mihawk's place?"

"Yes," he responded as the atmosphere shifted into a deep fog. Such was the spontaneous nature of the New World.

It has been 2 years since the newspapers got wind of the clash between the two greatest swordsmen. Not many knew the details of their fight, and even fewer witnessed the actual battle, but Zoro's face was recognized in every town, city, or kingdom the next day. Given his display of strength, the World Government committed an even greater force to apprehending the crew.

And the effort only increased when Straw Hat Luffy's declaration was made a few weeks later.

As for Mihawk, he had rarely made any appearances since raiding Mariejois with said crew, some speculated that he had died. Others believed he was simply biding his time, waiting for the opportunity to reclaim his throne atop all swordsmen. He was the definition of a recluse. A legendary pirate.

Zoro slowly brought the ship to a complete standstill, which only confused Ain.

"You might want to get down…" Zoro said ominously as a fog began rising until the ocean no longer became visible. "He's here."

The oceans rocked as an enormous blade of wind careened towards their ship. It was larger than anything Ain had seen the marines, or even New World swordsmen accomplish.

In a fluid motion, Zoro drew and resheathed his sword, sending an equally large slash. The 2 met, and the fog seemed to have split in two. Zoro's overpowered the original slash and they were sent up towards the sky, dispersing in a flash of red and green.

Ain heard a deep laugh echo from the ocean as Zoro looked onward expectantly.

"He's even stronger than last time! You'll have to train even harder if you want to defeat him!" The voice began to laugh again.

The aged, legendary pirate's coffin-shaped raft drifted towards the duo as the fog began dispersing. "Tashigi, if you please," he said as he began rising from his seat. His familiar looking accomplice did as well.

"Permission to board, Roranoa Zoro." She said more than asked. Zoro nodded as Tashigi and Mihawk began leapt on deck. The old man dressed as he usually did, with his signature hat and Yoru strapped to his back, although he did gain a few more grey hairs since the last time they met.

Tashigi on the other hand, was wrapped in a tan kimono as a purple, floral cloak hung from her shoulders. She was stronger than, but wasn't quite at the level of a vice-admiral yet.

"Well met, Zoro." Mihawk said with a smile as they clasped hands. "Or I heard you go by Vergil these days..."

"Mihawk-sensei, Commodore Tashigi," Zoro greeted.

"Don't call me that, I no longer have any business teaching. In fact, it was a surprise you requested that I train Tashigi. Though she's quite the remarkable student."

"She wouldn't be able to take my title otherwise." This caused Tashigi to glare which he simply ignored. "How's my sword?" he asked, perking Tashigi's interest.

"Strong and lightweight. She's wonderful to use," Tashigi said as she unsheathed the sword from its white and gold scabbard. She bowed low. "Thank you for giving me the Wado Ichimonji."

"Take good care of it," Zoro said.

"Reversal' Ain. The Rogue Marine. 500 Million berry bounty," Mihawk said, turning towards Ain. "I believe this is the first time we have met." He offered his hand out in which she shook.

Ain for her part was surprised by his presence. The aura he gave off was equally as large as Zoro's, but it had a more ancient feel to it. She didn't have to use her Observation to estimate his power now that he wasn't suppressing it.

"Are you leaving me with another disciple, Zoro?" Mihawk asked. "She has potential, you see."

"Until otherwise, she's an unofficial Straw Hat," which left warmth in Ain and a laugh from Mihawk.

"Well, let's get going then," Mihawk said as he slashed his sword in a circular motion towards his raft. The wind from his slash carried his vessel over the waters and gently dropped it on the deck of the ship.

"Such technique…" Ain thought as Zoro motioned them towards the upper deck.

* * *

The four sat around the table as Mihawk and Zoro stared at each other across the table. Tashigi was polishing her sword across from Ain. And Ain… for her part was just sitting.

"So that's it…" began Mihawk as he took a sip of his sake. "Quite the tale…"

Mihawk turned to Ain. "Intruding Zoro's territory all while you unknowingly had a squadron of marines follow you."

"You better have left them minor injuries at most, Zoro!" Tashigi said. "They're good men!"

"Don't worry," Zoro waved her off. "I left them alive."

Mihawk shot a look at Zoro, which caught his attention. Zoro raised an eyebrow. Mihawk sent him a shrug.

After a few hours of uneventful sailing, Zoro and Mihawk had announced that they had arrived. As the group disembarked, Zoro headed off towards mountains, claiming that he was going to meditate.

Ain noticed that the mountains oddly had their peaks shaven off…

"Tashigi's work," Mihawk said as the trio walked inside the grand castle at the center of the island. "Like I said, she's quite the remarkable swordsman."

Tashigi left shortly after to train with the Humadrills on the island's west peninsula, leaving Ain, Mihawk, and the ghost women who was introduced as Perona.

"Not half as cute as most things you bring back, but I guess she'll do," Perona observed as she circled Ain.

"Stop pestering our guest," Mihawk said sternly.

"You're no fun," she pouted as she floated up through the ceiling. Ain couldn't help but to giggle at their pair.

"She's livelier than when she was with Gekko Moria." Mihawk hummed in response.

"Ever since the incident with Moria, Perona has stayed with me. It is difficult for her to behave despite her age, but she has her uses."

Mihawk continued lead her through the pathways of his castle. Eventually, they reached a door on the fourth level.

"This will be your bedroom. You are free to come and go as you wish, but dinner is at sundown. "

"Thank you for everything," Ain said.

"Think nothing of it," said Mihawk as he began walking down the staircase.

Ain's room was large to say the least. A huge bed was in the centre of the room, with a equally large desk in the corner. Bookcases lined the walls, with numerous swords mounted above them.

As Ain studied her new room, she noticed an ornate book on the table. _The Originator of All Evil._ Curious, Ain flipped it open to see drawings, diagrams, and maps. It was more of a journal than anything else.

Ain only managed to read for a couple hours before a sudden voice surprised her.

"Peekaboo!" she heard as Perona shifted up through her floor. "It's time for dinner!"

"Sorry for startling you! When I'm ghosting, I can't be Observed. Even when I'm not, I can suppress my aura to the point that no one can see what's coming to them!"

"It's fine Perona. I didn't know you were capable of that kind of thing," she said, recovering from her miniature heart attack. Perona simply laughed her off.

"I'm useful for the 3 S's: Spying, Sneaking, aaaand Singing! Although, Mihawk has banned me from doing the last one..." she said with a pout. Ain couldn't help but laugh.

"Also, I take back what I said earlier. You really are cuter than most things that Mihawk brings back. Sorry I called you out on it."

Ain sweatdropped.

* * *

Dinner with group was definitely a unique experience. Mihawk had a feast prepared for the three of them at a large table lit with candles and a hanging chandelier. The bright atmosphere of the dining room contrasted the darkness presented by the rest of the castle.

As well, Mihawk had insisted that Zoro change out of his kimono and put on a suit, who had grudgingly agreed. Zoro sat next to Tashigi and Perona sat next to Ain. Mihawk presided at the head of the table.

"Please enjoy your meals, everyone."

"Get this suit off of me." grumbled Zoro, as the rest of the table ignored him.

"Well then, onto something important," Mihawk began. This attracted the attention of everyone.

"I hope that you are all aware of Zoro's goals and if you are not, it is to reunite the legendary Straw Hat Pirates. Normally, he would be capable of doing this himself, but the crew members are elusive and thus he has asked for my help. Tashigi and Perona, you both are free to follow your own path, and coming me is up to the both of you."

"Whatever."

"Fair enough."

"Then we have everyone on board!" Mihawk laughed. "We will set out sometime later this week."

"Hey Zoro, you're not the real Vergil, are you?" Ain spoke up. Zoro met her gaze.

"I'm surprised you figured that out. Not many in this world know the truth."

"But some do?"

"There are always outliers."

"Who is Vergil really and where did he come from?" Ain asked as she handed Zoro her book. "The book only talks about his power and feats, but nothing else."

A silent conversation passed between the Mihawk and Zoro for a few seconds before Zoro finally let out a sigh.

"Well let's get it out of the way, then," Zoro said. "Tell me Ain, where do Devil Fruits come from?"

Ain didn't expect that question. "What do you mean?"

Perona and Tashigi looked on with interest.

"Be as straightforward with your answer as you can be, where do Devil Fruits come from?" Zoro asked again.

"They are created by the unknown minerals of the ocean reacting with the furious climates of the Grand Line, therefore affecting the vegetation on certain islands with mutations. Plants grown with such mutations are Devil Fruits."

Mihawk only shook his head, as he let out a chuckle.

"My child, that sounds like something quoted directly from one of Vegapunk's journals. Now, once again, try to be as straightforward as possible. What do the legends say?"

"Well, no one knows for sure. Legends say that they were created by ancient beings who ruled the seas—" Ain stopped herself short in realization and shock. Tashigi and Perona did the same.

"Sea Devils..." Ain finished.

A moment passed where everything stood still. All but the 2 veterans were speechless.

"Zoro's a Sea Devil..." Tashigi trailed off.

Even Perona was shocked by the news. "Why is he so special?" she half-pouted.

"In order to stand at the top of an era, one needs to make waves," said Mihawk. "Lesser pirates only fear him because of his affiliations, but only the highest ranks of the World Government know the true extent of his powers."

"Listen carefully, " Zoro began. "A few months before we reached Raftel, we had an encounter with a Sea Devil named Vergil. He ruled the farthest ends of the ocean, and was the gatekeeper to the final islands of the Grand Line. Vergil was stronger than anything we had ever encountered. The Straw Hat Pirates battled an near immortal sea demon, but it was down to a stalemate."

"So then what happened?" asked Tashigi.

"Vergil had power beyond anything, but he was missing one thing in his life: an heir. Sea Devils cannot be killed, but they do have large lifespans. Vergil was nearing the end of his life cycle, but he needed someone to take his mantle as next 'Sea Scourge,'" Mihawk interjected.

/

 _The Straw Hats were all panting. The whole island was burning, completely destroyed in the midsts of battle. And yet, this old man continued to lean forward on his cane, both his hands resting comfortably on it. His long, blue cloak flowed openly in the wind and had no marks on it, revealing nothing had worked._

" _You kids got spunk, I'll give you that. Plus the one in the Straw Hat can really throw a punch…" he said, his eyes shadowed under his brown fedora, but the smile never leaving his face._

 _"It's not over yet!" one of the pirates shouted as he spit his cigarette on the ground. The swordsman's swords were completely steady despite his heaving breaths._

 _"Tell you what, I'll let you all go on to Raftel." said the man shocking the crew._

 _The one in the Straw Hat had no emotion in his voice as he asked his question._

 _"Vergil. Why?" He didn't care anyways. He was just curious._

 _"Well, I'm not letting you youngsters off for free. I've been longing to reunite with my brother, but that doesn't seem possible anymore… So, I'm going to ask for the next best thing."_

 _The Straw Hats listened on._

 _"I'm nearing the end of my 10 000 year lifespan, but I have no heir to take my lands. Captain Monkey D. Luffy! Take your crew to Raftel, become the Pirate King… then send one of your crewmates to do battle with me!"_

 _Vergil continued. "Those who inherit the Pirate King's will inherits enough fame to rule this age, but those who inherit mine will have the power to stand on top of it."_

 _A deep laughter escaped Vergil as the wind picked up and his form melted into the storm._

 _/_

"So the months after reaching Raftel, Zoro trained enough to battle Vergil. I'm sure you all know the outcome at this point," Mihawk said as he took a sip of his wine.

"I am the emperor of the New World, and my captain is the King of the Oceans. You simply don't fuck with the Straw Hats," Zoro finished.

"Well it has been a lovely dinner with you all," Mihawk said, ending the conversation. "Leave the cleaning to Zoro and myself, and the three of you are free to do as you wish."

Ain went to back to her room to study the book further, Tashigi returned to the Humandrill training grounds, and Perona floated up to her room. This left Zoro and Mihawk alone to clear the table.

"Too soon to tell them?" asked Mihawk as he finished and poured himself a glass of wine, relaxing in his seat again.

"It was perfect timing, actually," responded Zoro as he finished stacking the plates. He joined Mihawk at the table with his hands relaxed behind his head and his feet kicked up.

Ignoring his behavior, Mihawk was amused at his response.

"And why is that?" Zoro took a swig from his bottle of sake.

"Because where we're going in the next few months, there is going to be plenty of people in the same league as us."

"I highly doubt anyone is on your level except Straw Hat… and one more."

Zoro let out a sigh as he took another swig.

"Yeah. I know…"

* * *

 **A Short Vignette**

We now go back to the bar at Water 7, where the loyal bartender from the previous chapter began to close after last call. He carefully dried each glass but, he couldn't help smiling as he remembered his interaction with Ain earlier in the week. She was heading down a path where incredible dangers lay ahead.

" _But also incredible adventures if she knew where to look_ ," he thought.

"Fucking bartender, you're going to hand me all your booze!" he heard a man drunkenly shout as the door to his bar was broken down. Plant vines grew from his arms. "In the bag before things get messy!" the man said, crazed.

His answer was a concussive blast of light that sent the man flying out of the bar, destroying the entire wall and destabilizing the building.

The bartender continued to whistle as he restocked his alcohol, oblivious to the debris that was beginning to fall. " _Maybe I should have arrested Ain right when she came in_?"

No. He kind of wanted to see how this game would play out…

Someone asking about Zoro was unexpected of all things, names held power after all. But actively searching for him? That bordered insanity. Where would they start? And did anybody have the strength necessary to reach the ends of the ocean to where the Devil slept?

But then _she_ showed up. Given her abilities, power, and wide range of connections, reaching Arrod Island wouldn't have been too difficult. Maybe he should have apprehended her as well? He doubted it. Would probably end up leveling the entire island in the process. Too many lives would be lost.

But then again, he no longer had any affiliation to the Marines or the World Government, especially given the events that happened in the previous years… And of course, he knew the consequences.

That woman was not weak, far from it. Interfering in their plans would only be a headache that he simply did not have the willingness to deal with.

"What game are you playing, Roranoa?" Sengoku asked out loud, as he put on his glasses. A flash of light washed over him as he returned to a younger version of himself.

" **Buddha eyes,** " he said as he reached out with his almighty Observation Haki.

"Kuraigana Island, eh?"

He went to grab his "Going on Vacation" sign and hung it on the door.

"I'm not getting any younger, I'll go ask him personally."

* * *

 **The ultimate question is : How inconsistent will I be with future updates? Well, watch me.**

 **Lorenzo out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi Guys! Bye Guys!  
Disclaimer: I don't own some stuff. **

* * *

**Chapter 3: More Human**

"You're not fast enough," Zoro said simply as he leaned away from Ain's dagger. Ducking under her next strike, he pressed his palm into her body, sending her skidding on the ground and one of her daggers high in the sky.

"Either react faster, or plan ahead. Otherwise, you're never going to land a hit. Again," he said as he reached upwards and caught the sailing dagger.

Zoro had kept the same bored expression during their entire training session. This annoyed Ain to no end. When they had last fought, she kept up with him at least, but still had no chance of winning. This time, she wasn't even capable of that.

Ain resorted to a different tactic, as she slammed her fist into the ground. Using her devil fruit powers, she produced a spider web of cracks as the ground began to rumble. This caused Zoro to raise an eyebrow. _"She's eroding the ground beneath us with her powers… is she trying to create an earthquake?"_

 **"Modo-Modo Quake!"** she called out as enormous cracks spreading out around her. Trees and rocks began falling into the chasms that she created and Zoro watched as a myriad of cracks began heading in his direction.

 **"Fujian's Red Dome"** Zoro said as he sliced downwards with Ain's dagger. The wind picked up and wrapped Zoro in a protective sphere, preventing any damage to the area around him. As Ain's quakes died down, Zoro's wind dome still stood.

 **"Detonate."**

Zoro's barrier exploded and sent Ain flying back as the winds roared across their battlefield.

"That was a creative move…" Zoro said as he offered a hand. "And you didn't think of it when the marines attacked my island?"

"The island was too corrupted! I couldn't do anything!" Ain retorted as she took it.

"It's not my fault you were weak. You probably could have pulled it off if you trained a little harder."

Ain's eye twitched.

"That is something we can work on when we set sail, Zoro. Ain is plenty strong as she is, no need to worry about it yet."

The two were interrupted from their bickering when Mihawk and Tashigi entered the clearing. Mihawk did't carry Yoru with him this time, but instead a bag was draped over his shoulder. Tashigi held her stoic expression as usual.

"Fair enough," Zoro responded. "Any reason you came to see me?"

Rather than respond, Mihawk held out an envelope. "A request came in." Zoro simply hummed.

"Who is it from?" he asked as he read over the message within.

"A man with a vengeance. It would look terrible if the world's greatest swordsman turned down the challenge."

"I know that." Zoro said annoyingly. "I'll head to the Sunny Islands to meet my challenger soon. We'll continue this later, Ain." Zoro turned and began walking back to the castle.

"You kids should go with him; good eye opener for what's on our journey ahead."

"I don't think Ain or I are that inexperienced in dealing with high bounty pirates…" Tashigi stated, only for Mihawk to laugh.

"Maybe. Your skills continue to surprise me, so you might actually give the challenger some trouble, Tashigi." He stopped before looking at them both. "However, this particular pirate has a 2 billion beri bounty on his head so I wouldn't write him off, but…" He returned to his grin.

"Maybe this is another surprise that I won't see coming?" Mihawk continued to laugh as he began walking towards his castle as well. This left both Ain and Tashigi in the clearing.

"Ain, would you do me a favour?" Tashigi asked, "Spar with me." she said, catching her by surprise.

"You want to spar?" she responded a bit confused.

"Zoro and Mihawk see potential in you. I want to see how much faith they really have..." she trailed off. "Plus... you're a pirate now. You're in no position to refuse my challenge."

Ain smiled as she got into a stance. "What are the rules?"

Tashigi returned the smile. "No Devil Fruit powers. Anything else is fair game," she said as she drew Wado Ichijimonji.

"Whenever you're ready," Ain said as she held her daggers out.

Tashigi began by rushing towards Ain, preparing a downward slash with her sword. Ain caught it with one dagger and countered by spinning her other dagger towards Tashigi, causing her to duck. Ain predicted this and caught Tashigi with a low kick of to the gut. Tashigi stumbled a few steps backwards, but was otherwise fine. She returned to her stance once again, watching for the slightest opening Ain could give her.

"Having fun yet, Marine?" Tashigi asked as they circled each other.

"Ex-Marine, little Commodore, and I think I've won this one." Ain responded, much more relaxed than her marine counterpart.

"And why is that?" Tashigi returned.

"When I left the Marines with Zephyr-sensei, I was already a Vice-Admiral and now, I'm even stronger than that. There's a gap in our fighting abilities." Ain suddenly disappeared in the air. "Everything is fair game, right?" Tashigi heard the wind whisper. She just grit her teeth.

 _"Soru,"_ she cursed audibly as she felt Ain ram her fist into her abdomen. Tashigi fell to her knees, but refused to give up yet. She stood up and swung her sword only to hit nothing.

 _"Geppo,"_ she heard the wind whisper as she saw Ain towering in the air above her with an outstretched leg. Tashigi lifted her sword in an attempt to block her, as Ain's gravity and haki enhanced axe-kick came crashing down. When the dust cleared, Tashigi lay in the center of a small crater created by the sheer power behind Ain's kick. As Tashigi looked up, she saw Ain's outstretched hand and a bright smile on her face.

"I guess I won this one, huh?" Ain asked as she helped Tashigi to her feet.

"You really are something, Ain," Tashigi said as she brushed the dirt off of her clothes. "I could follow your movements with my haki, but you're just too fast. I couldn't keep up."

"Zephyr-sensei said that the usefulness of one's Haki always depended on their physical abilities as well. Just because you can see something coming means nothing if you can't dodge it."

"Noted," Tashigi said as she returned a genuine smile to Ain, which she believed was the first since the pair had met. "Next time, it's going to be my victory."

"Don't let me down then, yeah?" Ain responded with a chuckle. "Let's head back, Mihawk and Zoro are probably waiting for us," Ain said and Tashigi nodded.

* * *

The two talked plenty on their way back to the castle, with Tashigi discussing her choice to train with Mihawk, and even offering Ain a few tips when using her daggers.

"A few months ago, I sought Zoro out for a duel. Surprisingly, he agreed."

"And?" Ain asked.

"Remember this Ain: Zoro may be an incredibly lazy man, but he will often go out of his way to do things that make no sense to the normal person. Instead of leaving me defeated after out duel, he asked Mihawk-sensei to train me," Tashigi said as she reminisced the events that lead her to Kuraigana Island. "At first, I thought it would be a mistake to train with a pirate like him, but Zoro insisted, telling me that pride only got someone so far in this world."

"Did Zoro ask for anything in return?" Ain questioned. Zoro wasn't exactly uncharitable, but such an offer would undoubtably have a cost.

"All he asked for was for me to start thinking on my own. That's pretty counterproductive when you're a Marine."

"Let me tell you why I left the marines," Ain said, Tashigi's attention. "Zephyr-sensei was a big part, but what really pushed me was this notion of 'Justice' that I was forced to follow. That's not freedom, Tashigi, but Zephyr had a plan to fix that."

Tashigi nodded, contemplating everything that Ain had said. "I think that's what Smoker wanted me to do. I guess that's why he was so comfortable leaving me to Mihawk."

"It's because only the previous generations know what true freedom means," Ain said wistfully.

Tashigi gave he a questioning smile, "And what would that be?"

"To simply be free. To be able to choose your own path to take and experience the rewards or the consequences yourself. You don't count on 'Justice' to tell you what is right."

"That's an interesting definition, but it's a little too loose for me." This caused Ain to chuckle.

"That's the only definition that has made sense so far. You should try making your own decisions and see if this isn't the perfect version of Justice."

This left Tashigi in silence as she contemplated the thought.

* * *

From the Eastern Peninsula, it took the pair about an hour to reach the island docks where Zoro and Mihawk were, oddly enough, fishing in the murky waters. However, this wasn't what caught their attention.

A black galleon the size of the island floated ominously on the water's surface. The sails, the cannons, and even the masthead was black. Only the gold lining on the railings and the strange green aura that seemed to linger around it differed from the otherwise completely dark ship. A transparent crystal ball rested on it's bow, that swirled with grey clouds every few seconds.

"Took you two long enough. Pretty, isn't it?" Zoro asked, still not turning to them. Both Tashigi and Ain were still slightly shocked which prompted Mihawk to speak up.

"While I do like my pupils to visit me every now and then, Zoro did not come just for my help. Her name is the Nebula, Zoro's personal ship. I've been hiding her under the island for the last few years."

"Mihawk told me that you to wanted to come watch the duel." said Zoro as he began boarding the ship. This prompted Ain and Tashigi to do the same.

Zoro and Mihawk exchanged quick glances, before the former let out a laugh and shook his head. The ship let out an audible rumble as Zoro placed his hands on the wheel. The ship began exited the docks as Mihawk tossed his line out once more towards the murky waters.

"Our destination is an uncharted archipelago that only a few people have ever explored," Zoro said behind the wheel. "They are called the Sunny Islands, named after the ship of its discoverers."

"You mean your crew?" Tashigi asked with a wry smile which Zoro nodded.

"My challenger is a former pirate-turned-privateer." he continued. "His name is Keiro, the Quiet Samurai."

This resonated with Tashigi. "The man who became a pirate, a warlord, then back to pirate, before entering into a limited alliance with the World Government, right?"

"Right," said Ain, entering the conversation. "Zephyr gave him the epithet 'Quiet Samurai' because he has so much information on the pirates and marines that he worked with. I hear he had a bounty of 4 billion Beri before the Alliance took place."

"That was because he is on par with the Emperor's top commanders in terms of battle prowess. Only reason he doesn't have one now is because no one knows whose side he's on."

"Speaking of which," Tashigi said as she began to shift their conversation, "What's your bounty, Zoro?"

Zoro shifted his eyes from the horizon to Tashigi, which prompted her to continue. "While Admiral Smoker was working with the Bounty Commission, I noticed that every Straw Hat and several other pirates had a black seal on their poster."

Ain answered in his place. "Do you remember the purpose of the bounty system, Tashigi? It is to encourage third-parties not affiliated with the Marines to make arrests. Not only is a bounty a measure of someone's strength, but it also measures the lengths that the World Government will take to eliminate this threat."

"A black seal means the pirates are blacklisted," Zoro said. "Reserved for the most dangerous men and women on the seas, 15 Pirates are on that list besides my crewmates. To the World Government, we stand on top of the food chain in this world."

"This information is kept top secret among the marines, but Zephyr-sensei knew," Ain said. "Keiro was actually in consideration for being blacklisted if it wasn't for one thing,"

"He's an aphasiac. He is unable to speak," Zoro finished. "Quite the troublesome fellow. Anyways, enough questions for now, I need to focus. We're about to sail upside-down very soon."

Tashigi went off to spar with the shadowy figures the ship created in its training room, while Ain watched Zoro navigate as she read her books.

* * *

Night came soon, as everyone was recovering from brief episode of the Upside-Down Sea. Zoro prepared some of the fish that he had caught in the morning and the trio was currently joined together for dinner.

"I've trained all day and soon, I'll be able to use flying-blade attacks. Zoro might as well hand over the title right now."

Zoro simply hummed. "If it took that long for you to pull it off, I might as well give my title to someone else. Maybe I'll just give it to Keiro."

Tashigi responded by taking stealing some of the food off Zoro's plate. Immediately, he frowned.

"Don't test me, little one. I could send you flying from one end of the Red Line to the other with the flick of my wrist," he said menacingly.

"Little one? Oh right, immortal sea demon. I guess you're an old man after all," Tashigi retorted. Zoro's eyebrows narrowed and he did something that Ain couldn't believe she had the chance to witness.

Faster than Tashigi could react, Zoro reached over with his chopsticks and stole an entire fish off her plate.

Tashigi responded by jabbing him with her own chopsticks, only for Zoro to steal even more off her plate.

Ain suppressed a giggle as she watched the two act so... childishly. The great sea devil Vergil had a human side to him after all. Ain finally broke into full laughter as Zoro stood on top of the table, shoveling everything he could on Tashigi's plate down his throat before Tashigi tackled him.

As she watched on, she couldn't help smiling as she realized how closely they resembled a _family_ together. Two unruly children tagging along with a wise, old man who, even if he didn't show it, cared deeply about them both. It wasn't long before the entire dining room was a mess, including Ain herself who became a casualty in their 'scuffle.'

"Alright, alright. The plate is yours, witch," Zoro said as he tried to wipe his kimono clean.

"It was mine to begin with, geezer," Tashigi said, before both of them turned their heads to the giggling Ain.

"What's so funny?" they both asked at the same time.

"Oh nothing," Ain waved it off. "It's like we're all one big family traveling together."

A smile broke across Zoro's face. An _actual_ smile. "Huh... I guess it is kind of like that..."

"Well, we're a pretty dysfunctional one," Tashigi interjected.

"Enough. To your room," Zoro ordered.

"Yes, father," Tashigi said mockingly as she left the room, which only caused Ain to giggle once again.

"You better get some rest as well, Ain. We'll be arriving at the Sunny Islands by tomorrow morning and I don't need children falling asleep on me."

"See you tomorrow, then," Ain said as she began walking to her room.

Zoro took a brief moment to look at the state of the room, before sighing. He said something to himself that did not go unnoticed by Ain.

 _"I. Hate. Kids."_

* * *

"We're here," said Zoro as he brought the Nebula to a standstill. "Sunny Islands." In front of their eyes laid the brightest and quite possibly the best groomed island that can be found in the New World. Lush flowers and green trees stretched out as far as the horizon.

"Our sniper came up with the name. The island is alive so try not to harm any of the plant life. You'll make it angry."

"And I don't suppose you'll leave the island as it is throughout your duel?" Tashigi asked.

"That was a warning to you two," Zoro said as he drew Shodai, causing the ground to rumble. "But there's nothing the island can do to stop me," Tashigi and Ain immediately felt the massive aura that radiated off of Zoro as he did. "Come out," he called into the air.

After a few seconds, a figure came skulking out of the forests. He had spiky, blue hair and black circles around his wide-opened eyes. He wore a black suit similar to the ones of the Cipher Pols. What was most strange was the piece of grey tape covering his mouth.

Before any of them could blink, the man drew and re-sheathed his sword, cutting down the trees behind him as far as they could see. Only the area behind Zoro was left untouched as he sheathed Kitetsu. He kept staring at the trio with wide-eyes in complete silence.

"Keiro, the Quiet Samurai." Zoro spoke, the man continued to stare. "My name is Roranoa Zoro, or otherwise Vergil, and I am the greatest swordsman in the world and currently the world's strongest pirate. You are either very brave, or you don't value your life as much if you thought of challenging me." This surprisingly elicited a reaction as Keiro's eyes narrowed.

"Come."

* * *

 **They coming, boys! The Straw Hat's are coming! The way I have this story planned out is that Zoro and his "fan club" will meet up with the members of the Straw Hats one by one until we reunite or at least get a cameo of every crew member. But every once in a while, I'll put an outtake or something on what each of them is up to before Zoro meets with them.**

On a side note, I can't believe this story is progressing this far without a definite main character. I think I began with Ain, but it suddenly became a multi-person type of story. ¯\\_(ツ)_/


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the bi-yearly update you've all been waiting on! Drop a review (or a flame) if you enjoyed reading! (Or just flame me. I don't care either way.)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Season of Silence**

Ain watched as the two swordsmen stared each other on. Keiro gripped his sword tightly while Zoro looked visibly more relaxed. Bored, even.

"Eustass Kidd. "Gluttonous" Bonney. "Rex" Drake. "The Eyes and Ears," and Captain Ackerman,' These are only some of the pirates who stand on top of this era, then there is just you."

Keiro's eyes narrowed, showing emotion for the first time.

"Simply pitiful, really."

"One of the 12 Supreme Grade swords, Mokusatsu, The Silent Killer." Keiro sped towards Zoro holding his sword at his side. His blade seemed to cut the air around him as he charged. "...But it is _nowhere_ on the level of Shodai Kitetsu."

Zoro merely swung the blunt end of his sword in response, creating a shockwave that sent Keiro flying backwards and toppling hundreds of trees in the process. The ocean rocked around the island as several clouds were blown away.

" **One sword style: Iron Dragon** ," Zoro called out, already resheathed his sword.

The rocking settled as Zoro observed the destruction around him. "Are we finished?"

Suddenly, a blade was swung behind him, in which he simply sidestepped it. The slash that was sent forward careened across the waters, creating an earsplitting sonic boom. Keiro slashed at Zoro who met his blade, the clash creating another earthshaking shockwave.

Ain and Tashigi stood their ground watching the battle with awe. Zoro fought on, showing little emotion in the face of the enormously powerful swordsman. Every attack was either blocked, dodged, or parried by Zoro, who has yet to counterattack.

The battle─ if one could even call it that─ lasted only a few minutes more before Keiro's slash was lazily knocked to the side. Taking advantage of the opening created, Zoro merely shoved him and sent him skidding on the ground.

"Ain. Tashigi. We're done here." Zoro said as he sheathed his sword and began walking back towards the Nebula.

Seemingly satisfied with the result, Ain and Tashigi went to follow him. A sudden growl brought all three's attention back to Keiro who was now standing again.

His brown cloak was tattered, and the tape that had covered his mouth had been removed, revealing the darkened stitches that sewed his lips together. His glare didn't leave the trio at all. They watched on as two copies of his body split off of him and entered into a combat stance.

"The Branch-Branch fruit." Zoro said in disinterest. "Even with copies of yourself, your power is still divided among your clones. Not very reassuring if I am your opponent…"

Rather than charge at Zoro, Keiro's clones took the group by surprise and grabbed both Ain and Tashigi. With their hostages, the clones proceded to Geppo towards the farther out islands within the archipelago.

"They'll be fine. They're strong. 3 copies should mean… the clones should be around 800 million berries worth of strength." Zoro said aloud, deciding not to chase them. "As for you…"he said, his gaze returning to the wounded Silent Samurai.

* * *

 **"Reversal" Ain**

Ain landed with a thud. The land mass that Keiro dropped her on matched the main island's environment. Lush trees. No wildlife. But also an enormously powerful pirate standing over her and staring with his trademark wide-eyes.

Ain hurled a rock at the pirate, changing it into lava in the process. Keiro dodged it easily enough, but it created enough spacing between them as Ain rolled backwards. Reaching out with her Observation Haki, Ain gauged her opponent's strength.

 _"He should only be at a fraction of his original power." Ain thought. "But even at this level, he's worth 300 million more than me."_

While bounty was only a rough estimation of one's strength, Ain knew that her opponent still _heavily_ outclassed her. Keiro sent a large wind-slash towards Ain in which she dodged cleanly, but the sheer pressure from the blade nicked her leg and left her bleeding.

 _"Strong and fast. That's a bad combination."_

Ain instantly responded by unloading her pistols on Keiro, in which he either dodged or deflected with his blade. As Keiro's blade met the next bullet, Ain caught the gleam in his eye and tried to lean her body prematurely to dodge his strike. However, her injured leg failed her in that exact moment as Keiro caught the final bullet with his sword before launching it right back towards Ain.

The seastone bullet ignored her armament haki and pierced through her body entirely. _"Shit."_ Ain thought to herself as she fell to her knees. She let out a cough of blood as her vision began to blur.

 _"He probably coated that bullet with his own Haki through his sword…"_

As if seeing their battle drawing to a close, Keiro sent a concussive blast of wind towards her next and Ain crashed into a tree. Her armament was strong enough to prevent her from being cleaved entirely in two, but it still left a huge cut across her torso. As her vision began blacking out, she thought back to her training session earlier that day.

/

 _"Oomph!" Ain was sent skidding across the ground again._

 _"The more I think about it, the more interesting your Devil-Fruit powers become, Violet," Zoro said as he looked wistfully into the wind._

 _"When are you going to stop calling me that?!" Ain shouted, infuriated by how lightly he was taking her._

 _"When you make me."_

 _Ain rolled her eyes. "And what do you mean by interesting?" she asked._

 _"It seems as there are countless uses of the Reverse-Reverse Fruit, even with how much you've already shown me. Like for example, have you tried infusing your powers into your daggers or bullets?"_

 _Ain hummed in thought._

 _"A power that could use the essence of time and eternum to reverse anything."_

 _"By reversing their age before they even existed, right?"_

 _"Like what you almost did to my crewmates when we last fought?" Zoro asked rhetorically, but he continued. "But I want to teach you is the pinnacle of all Devil Fruit powers. It is called "Awakening."_

 _"Awakening?" Ain asked with a confused look._

 _"You've sailed the New World for years now, not to mention being apprenticed by an Ex-Admiral, but you still haven't heard of awakening your Devil Fruit powers?"_

 _Ain shook her head._

 _"Alright then, listen carefully. In this world, there are Devil Fruit users, and then there are the really good Devil Fruit users. Then there are people even better than that. Those who learn to tap into their powers can affect the very environment around them. Still, this ability is exceptionally rare outside the deeper end of the New World."_

 _"And it seems that you have some idea how to use it… even unconsciously."_

 _Ain noticed that her scrapes and bruises from being sent to the ground earlier had healed. Zoro grinned._

 _"Reversing wounds on your body that weren't there before… and that doesn't look like the most you can do. A very versatile Devil Fruit..."_

 _Within seconds, the minor injuries on her body had healed._

 _"Focus on you powers. Imagine as your abilities seep into every crevice and crack around you. Feel your spirit will the battlefield to your advantage. That is the key to 'awakening' your powers."_

 _/_

Keiro had turned away, believing his battle was won. His head perked up as he heard a rustle from behind him.

"You're… not getting rid of me… that easily…" panted Ain as she slowly rose to her feet. The bullet wound on her chest was slowly closing as was the massive cut that ran across her torso.

Keiro's eyes widened at Ain's ability. He was off-guard only for a moment as Ain materialized in front of him with a Soru. Keiro clumsily slashed with his sword only to fall into Ain's trap as she disappeared once again.

 _Shunk._

" **Temporal Knife."** Keiro grunted has he felt a dagger enter his back.

He fell to his knees as he felt Ain's Devil Fruit powers seep into his body. "I poured my powers into my dagger. Every cell in your body will disappear as they begin to lose their age." Keiro's eyes narrowed at Ain as he slumped to the ground.

"I've won…" Ain let out a sigh of relief as she also fell to her knees. "Shit… I didn't think that my attack would take that much energy." Then again, reversing 2 life-threatening wounds wasn't something that she did everyday.

"I don't think I would have won if he wasn't off guard. I was lucky this time…" Ain said to herself. "The body should decompose soon, I should head back to Zoro…" A low chuckle behind Ain caught her attention.

"You're quite talented, learning to Awaken your powers so quickly. Shame you're wasting time with Vergil, kid."

Immediately, Ain had a dagger at Keiro's throat. He made no attempt to stand up.

"No need to kill me, this body is about to die anyway. All I'm asking is for you to hear me out for a few minutes."

Ain noticed that though she could hear his voice, his mouth did not move.

"Observation Haki," said the Silent Samurai, mimicking the first meeting between Ain and Zoro. "You may not be reaching out with your Haki, but you can still hear me because I'm forcing my thoughts into your mind. 'Been told my "voice" is just that loud."

"Talk," Ain spat.

"He's using you, kid. You are nothing but a small hammer in the construction of his goal."

"What do you mean?"

Another chuckle. "You may have had your own reasons as you searched for the legendary Roranoa Zoro, but who doesn't? But YOU are special. And that's why "she" led you to him. Vergil _wanted_ you to find him."

Ain sheathed her dagger as she stepped back, but Keiro opted to simply continue laying on the ground.

"The Eyes saw you looking for him and the Ears heard your intentions, and everything is connected. Otherwise, you may have never found Vergil."

A few seconds of silence passed between the two of them before Keiro spoke again.

"You still look a little confused, so let me help you: Who gave you the tools for your search such as an unsinkable ship? A map that doesn't actually exist? And word has it that he wasn't quite surprised that you showed up on his island. He may have sensed that you were coming, but how did he know your goals before arriving?"

As Ain's mind worked in overdrive to solve this man's riddle, she finally responded.

"So you're telling me that there's more to just sailing in a friendship circle with some of the most dangerous pirates on the planet? I couldn't have figured that out on my own," she said with a hint of sarcasm. An image of the previous night, one where Tashigi, Zoro, and herself sat laughing around the table appeared in her mind. _Like a family._ "I have my own reasons for sailing with them."

"Of course, but consider this a warning. _Follow him and only heartbreak and despair will come your way."_

Another brief silence took place.

"How I know all of this, you may wonder. It's because I stood against the Straw Hat Pirates before. Because I fought Zoro before. They manipulated the Marines into believing that I am a criminal who's real danger lies in what he knows, and so I was almost Blacklisted."

Keiro began coughing violently as the body shriveled. "At the very least, carefully question about every decision as the 3 of you continue travelling together. Otherwise, you'll have _killed_ every last one of us."

With that, the clone faded out of existence and left Ain with many more questions as she focussed the rest of her energy to patching up her wounds. When she felt decently recovered, she leapt into the air and flew back to the main island.

* * *

 **Tashigi**

This pirate was fast. Very fast.

Tashigi barely dodged the multiple flying slashes that were sent towards her, stumbling from the staggering shockwave that was sent with each one. The redirected slashes each cut down trees as thick as a ship's mast.

 _And strong._

Tashigi had already come to the conclusion that Keiro was fighting at a fraction of his usual power—that was usually the case if a person were to "split." But what she hadn't accounted for was the sheer difficulty of battling such a powerful pirate.

 _"This guy would destroy the Humandrill Boss and he's not even fighting at full power!"_

With great effort, Tashigi parried the next slash and with a push, she created a sizable gap between them. As Keiro skidded to a halt, his eyes widened as Tashigi sheathed her sword and held a basic drawing stance.

With a hearty battlecry, she quickly unsheathed her sword and re-sheathed it in one fluid motion. The wind blade careened towards the Samurai who made no motion to intercept it.

Instead, the slash fizzled out shortly before arriving. Tashigi heard a low chuckle. _"Little marine, I believe your swordsmanship still needs some work…"_

Before she could realize where the voice came from, an enormous flying slash appeared, towering over her and utterly destroying everything in its path.

/

 _"Mihawk-sensei, are we close?"_

 _"You'll see soon, Tashigi…"_

 _Mihawk and Tashigi had sailed for days on the small raft. Tashigi remembered earlier that week as Mihawk awaited her at the dock instead of their usual training grounds. He said that they would take a trip somewhere to meet with an "old friend." Currently, Tashigi was monitoring the log pose, as Mihawk sat on his chair._

 _Tashigi's eyes widened suddenly as she felt an enormously powerful aura approaching them. Even though her Observation Haki wasn't comparable to most Vice-Admirals, even she could feel the strength of the threat that was quickly approaching. Whoever this was, they easily outclassed even the Yonko._

 _"Mihawk-sensei! There's—"_

 _"Let me show you something, Tashigi…" Mihawk interrupted as he slowly got up from his chair._

 _Yoru was drawn and with a quick swipe, the world seemed to freeze for a moment. Suddenly an enormous green wave zoomed across the waters into the deep fog ahead._

 _The waves rocked as an equally large, but red wave met with Mihawk's original slash. The red wave overpowered Mihawk's slash and continued off into the horizon._

 _"That was a flying blade attack, further empowered by one's intent and armament haki working in harmony. Only a handful of swordsmen can actually reconcile the two, even within the Grand Line." Mihawk lectured. "Now let's go forward, you're going to love who we just sailed into!" he said with a hearty laugh._

/

Shortly after returning to Kuraigana Island, Mihawk began teaching her the specialized flying blade attack, however she never produced anything more than a blunt wave that failed to cut through even wood. She was perfectly capable of performing a regular flying blade attack as she remembered her battle with Monet a few years back. However, infusing one's haki into the slash as well? That took another level of focus entirely.

/

 _Tashigi was below deck training with the shadows that the Nebula produced. She panted as she felt her technique grow, but was still incapable of inflicting much damage._

 _"Dammit!" she cursed out loud as she sent another one, which unsurprisingly ended in failure as well._

 _"You need to sharpen your intent," came a voice behind her. "I did say that producing these attacks is a lot harder than cutting mountains, didn't I?"_

 _"The ship—" Tashigi started, but was interrupted by Zoro._

 _"Ain has taken over the helm. And I did promise you that I would help."_

 _She let out a sigh. "Have you ever tried balancing on a tightrope, where even a single misplaced thought can send you crashing to the floor below?"_

 _"Put down your sword," he ordered. As Tashigi did just that, the room was suddenly drained of all light. A single candle was lit._

 _"Sit," Zoro ordered. "Until the wax has melted, do not take your eyes off of the flame."_

 _Quoting a mantra from Mihawk, Zoro continued. "It's useless to train your strength without sharpening your focus first."_

 _"The flames extinguish themselves if you glance elsewhere." Zoro said as he closed the door behind him. "Tomorrow, we'll increase the number of candles."_

/

The memories flashed by in a span of a seconds as she was brought back to the present. Even after the long nights of training, she has yet to perform a proper haki-infused flying blade attack. It was do or die.

"My first one was a dud, and if this one fails as well, I'm dead," she thought as she took a kneeling stance. She closed her eyes and focussed on drawing out her intent as the massive slash was now only a few meters away.

"Here goes nothing!" she shouted, opening her eyes and drawing her sword in a fluid motion. An equally large slash was produced and overpowered Keiro's slash. Keiro, caught off guard, could only raise his sword in defence as Tashigi's completed technique flowed through him.

Tashigi was breathing heavily as she noticed the sheer destruction that she caused. She _essentially_ cut the island in half. Her panting slowly came to a halt as she finally rose to her feet. "Swordsmen truly are destructive beings…" she thought.

A dry laugh came from Keiro's motionless body. A deep cut ran down his body, and it was only time before he bled out.

"Little swordsman, by defeating me you have brought ruin to the world…" Tashigi slowly approached Keiro, her sword still drawn.

"Would you care to find out how?..."

* * *

 **Zoro**

Zoro sat cross-legged in meditation. Glowing red chains tied the defeated Silent Samurai to a nearby tree.

As if sensing what had happened, Zoro spoke aloud, "They won't fall for your mind games, Keiro. They're stronger than you think."

A deep laugh came from the Keiro. "I never imagined that you would be this strong, even after our last battle. I honestly thought the gap was smaller this time, but I was wrong." Another chuckle. "But at the very least, the seeds of doubt have been planted."

Zoro narrowed his eyes.

"And given the road that your journey will take, it will be very easy to nurture those seeds. They will all eventually grow into _b_ _etrayal_."

Zoro ignored him. "I doubt it, Keiro. The kids are stronger than you think."

"Whatever you say," Keiro laughed into the sky. "Let's see who's theory comes out on top, Vergil..."

Zoro chose not to respond as he quietly meditated. Keiro's laugh continued to echo into the horizon.

* * *

 **A/N: And so Keiro is defeated and we're (finally) moving on to the next arc! Thank you everyone for putting up with my erratic update schedule. A mixture of attention to detail, desire for perfection, and sheer laziness is the only explanation for the delay. No worries, I've already started working on the next chapter! The Straw Hats are finally going to appear next time! Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The first Straw Hat is making their appearance this chapter! If anyone has noticed, I've been making minor edits to all past (and future) chapters. Generally, I want to improve the flow of the story as I write and remove any conflicting information that might come up. Just think of it as reading a brand new story every time!**

 **And for future reference or in case I forget,**

Normal text: Regular conversations

 **Bold: Attacks**

 _Italics: Thoughts or flashbacks_

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Captain Ackerman**

"So he's immortal then."

"Yes. With the spirit of Vergil infused into him, he is completely immortal. You can't take him down the normal way," Keiro answered.

"So how do we defeat him then?" asked Tashigi. Having won the battle, Keiro revealed to her the truth about Zoro. While she tried to believe otherwise, her Marine mindset interpreted the information as it was.

"Zoro is only immortal as long as he is carrying the Shodai Kitetsu. Remove it from him and he is rendered mortal."

Keiro let out a dry laugh as his body began bleeding out.

"Even without the Kitetsu, the man's lethal. But you're a Marine, right? It's your duty is to save the world." As Keiro finished, the body faded into nothingness. Tashigi fell on her knees, letting go a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She was never a firm believer of Absolute Justice. Tashigi always believed that morals and Justice were inseparable, so the idea of enforcement by any means necessary was foreign to her. Maybe that's why Smoker always had a soft spot for the Straw Hats?

And speaking of said crew, she has never seen eye-to-eye with Zoro-or until most recently face-to-face- on most things. However, he always had good intentions, though his methods was questionable.

Helping those in need. Protecting the weak. Accepting only gratitude in return.

These values were uncommon even among ordinary citizens, let alone pirates. But Zoro always exemplified them.

The more she thought about it, she more she realized that not only Roranoa Zoro, but the entire Straw Hat Pirate crew would have made some pretty damn good marines.

Recent information left her with serious doubts about everything that she believed.

As Tashigi began returning to the main island. She wasn't able to use the _Geppo_ or the _Soru_ yet so the only way back was by foot. She didn't mind. Her mind was flooded with thoughts as her duty conflicted with her morals. Zoro needed to answer some questions.

Tashigi arrived at the main island about an hour later. Ain had already arrived, and Zoro sat cross-legged as he meditated. Her eyes widened as she saw the real Keiro incapacitated. Glowing, red chains bound him to a nearby tree.

Zoro's head perked up as he noticed the swordswomen, but not her adverting eyes.

"Welcome back. That was a baptism into the perils of the New World and you both did extremely well." A large grin grew on Zoro's face, the biggest since they have met.

"And you both feel a little stronger too. I guess it really was a good idea to bring both of you along!" he beamed with pride.

Tashigi and Ain both nodded, Keiro's warning still fresh in their minds.

"I'm not interested in his bounty or anything, so I'm thinking we leave him here for the Marines to pick up. Once we're on the ship, I'll tell you about our next destination. Agreed?" asked Zoro.

"What if Keiro escapes?" asked Ain

"He can't. That's Zoro's Devil Chains technique," answered Tashigi. "The chains sap the wearer's life force. He can't escape unless Zoro decides to let him out."

"And how do you know this?"

"When I first dueled Zoro for his title, I was accompanied by Admiral Smoker. He claimed it was Marine protocol to arrest any pirate that he came across, but I think a part of him just wanted to test his limits." Ain nodded, accepting her response.

"Let's leave now," Zoro said as he finished burning his message into the ground. He motioned for them to board the Nebula, leaving the defeated privateer alone on the destroyed archipelago.

* * *

"How did the duel go? Did you have fun, kids?" asked Mihawk from a lawn chair as they began docking at Kuraigana Island.

"There is something that I want to talk to about, Mihawk-sensei," said Tashigi. "Privately," she added.

Mihawk, sensing his student's distress, nodded and motioned her towards the castle. When they had left, Zoro was the next to speak,

"I can sense your tension, Ain. Did Keiro say anything to you when the 2 of you fought?"

Ain shook her head. Zoro could feel the guilt roll off of her in waves, but decided not to peer deeper.

"Listen, Ain. You don't have to tell me anything, but I meant it when I said I considered you Nakama. You may not trust me, and it's only worse that I cannot tell you anything yet, but I trust you completely. All that I ask is for you to trust me just for the time being."

Seeing Ain remain unconvinced, Zoro let out a sigh. "Everything has a time and place Ain, and you're no different. I don't like hiding things, but you'll need to wait for an explanation. Now's just not the time."

Ain nodded. She wasn't completely satisfied with his explanation, but agreed.

"Alright. I'll trust you for now."

"Thank you. You may not know it, but you have the greatest role in our plan. Now are ready to head back?"

Ain nodded once again. The grand soul searching adventure that she planned for at the beginning got more complicated.

As the two walked back to the castle, Ain heard a sudden voice.

 _"Can you hear me?"_

She looked around, but it was only Zoro and he was many steps behind her.

 _"Listen carefully,"_ she heard again.

"Zoro, do you hear that?" she asked.

 _"Hear what?"_ she heard, but comprehension dawned on her. She heard the same voice back on Arrod Island, as she leapt off the cliff.

"Are you talking to me with your Haki?" She saw Zoro shrug his shoulders.

 _"Perhaps,"_ she heard. _"_ _Try it. Direct your thoughts to me."_

Ain closed her eyes. _"Like this?"_

 _"Yes. Like that. The stronger your Observation Haki is, the clearer your messages will be and the farther your listening range becomes. As well, you'll be able to decipher the 'quieter messages."_

Zoro's voice suddenly disappeared before it became audible once more.

 _"I asked if you could still hear me."_

"Loud and clear," she shot back.

 _"Good,"_ Zoro said with a smile. _"This is how you can have private conversations from now on. Just remember that weaker Observers won't be able to read your thoughts without some context."_

 _"You mean Tashigi?"_ Ain looked at him quizzically. Zoro nodded.

 _"She needs some more practice, but eventually, she can do it as well."_

"We're going to get a few things, then we are off on our journey," Zoro said aloud this time as they reached the castle gates. "Say your prayers and hope the devil spares your soul."

* * *

The four were currently seated in the castle library where Zoro and Mihawk discussed their next course of action.

"Our first destination is Little Elbaf, a port island of the original mainland," said Mihawk. He had just come out of a fascinating conversation with his pupil, but assured her that everything would be fine. Mihawk's faith in Zoro seemed to have slowly earned her trust.

"What are we looking for there?" asked Ain.

"We're picking up the legendary Captain Ackerman," responded Zoro.

"Isn't that the fabled Titan Slayer?"

 **(A/N: AoT reference lmao.)**

Tashigi nodded. "Years ago, there was a man who single-handedly ended the Giant's Rebellion. For 4 days and 4 nights, he fought through the giant army to raid the castle. On the fifth day, he defeated the tyrannical leader, one of the last supergiants in history. He's a hero to those who seek to overcome the largest of odds, and one of the greatest equalizing forces in history."

"But Ackerman sailed away with his Giant pirate crew years ago and has yet to make another appearance in the world," Mihawk added on.

"He is an original member of the Straw Hat Pirates," Zoro said as he retrieved a map from the shelf. "Captain Ackerman is just an alias. His real name is Usopp.

The table's reactions varied from shock to even mild surprise on Mihawk's part, as they heard the familiar name.

"I recently came in contact with him and we are to meet on Little Elbaf in 10 days. It's about 2 days from here, so we have a little more than a week to prepare. Keep in mind that we are not resupplying for a long time, so pack wisely."

And so for the next few days, the crew began to prepare for their journey. As Ain, Tashigi, and Mihawk stocked the ship, Tashigi asked the idle question on her mind.

"Mihawk-sensei, what was it like dueling Zoro for your title?"

This caught Ain's curiosity. Even Perona flew from the other side of the ship to hear his response.

"Difficult."

Mihawk let a chuckle escape as he stacked another crate. "Zoro was definitely weaker before he fought Vergil, but even then it was clear who the better swordsman was. I can only imagine how much stronger he is now, but I know he becomes mortal when the Kitetsu isn't physically on him, right Tashigi?" he said while grinning.

Perona raised an eyebrow, and Ain stood silently as Zoro's weakness was revealed.

Tashigi simply nodded.

"You don't have the resolve nor the proper to equipment to battle a wielder of the 12 Supreme Grade yet, but this journey might change that."

"That's ironic. My sensei taught me one's will won battles, not his weapons," new voice joined in. Zoro climbed on board, his gold-laced black coat flowing in the wind as he did. "But I would agree that without Kitetsu, I would be weaker if not for some abilities that I inherited from Vergil."

"Abilities?"

As Perona asked, Tashigi gasped as an enormous fleet of ships sailed towards the island. The flags were all adorned with a Jolly Roger.

"An armada? Well we are near the New World's border after all," Ain said. As she prepared to enter battle, Mihawk stopped her.

"Let Zoro take care of it," Mihawk said.

"It's hard to explain my abilities. It's much easier if I just showed you," Zoro said as he stood on the Nebula's bow. He carefully drew the glowing Kitetsu and brandished it into the sky. All watched in awe as the sky blackened.

" **Devil Style: Extinction Event."**

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Ain was about to say something when suddenly a faint green dot in the sky caught her attention. She squinted her eyes and caught sight of one more. Then one more. Then 5 more. Then 100 more. As the green dots peppered the sky, Ain was left speechless. _Those looked like..._

"Are those… meteorites?..." Tashigi asked in both awe and fear. When they finally broke through the atmosphere, she noticed that the rocks were the size of a small _galleon._

"Is that even possible?" Ain whispered. It was like watching the Judgement Day unfold as she heard the distant screams of the scrambling pirates who could do nothing but await their fate. The falling meteorites had an otherworldly green glow to them and the sky roared with thunder and lightning as the first dozen of ship-sized rocks made contact with their targets.

Mihawk stood silently as he watched the destruction unfold.

The meteorites continued to rain from the sky until countless ruined ships littered the ocean in green fire. Seeing the threat annihilated, Zoro sheathed Kitetsu and stood down from the bow.

"I can tap into Vergil's spirit and channel his lust for destruction, " Zoro said. "And when I do that, our Navigator is often required to _redraw a few maps,_ " he said chillingly.

Everyone except Mihawk was shocked as they took in what Zoro could do. "I took down Vergil with Shodai Kitetsu so most of his powers, including his immortality are sealed inside its blade. I may be more vulnerable without it, but I can still channel his powers into any weapon."

Mihawk sent Zoro a look and he nodded.

"Let's not waste anymore time. Set sail," Mihawk said as he strapped Yoru to his back and began moving towards the upper deck.

"Right. I'll explain it a little more when we pick up Captain Ackerman." Zoro said as took the ship's wheel.

* * *

The crew arrived on the island several hours later. However, their arrival seemed strange to all but Zoro. For one, they were greeted with an empty village. Enormous structures that were fit for giants stood all over the equally large island. And secondly, the fog that they had encountered upon entering the vicinity only grew deeper.

"Is there… really no one here?" Ain asked aloud. "Was the island abandoned?"

"Either your assumption is correct, or the inhabitants are masking their presence very well. Keep your guard up, even I cannot sense any lifeforms residing here," Mihawk said.

They were interrupted by a loud shout from within the fog.

"Pirates! I am the legendary Captain Ackerman and you are all trespassing on my territory. Turn back now before I am forced to unleash my 10,000 followers on you!"

Zoro stared on impassively as Mihawk stepped forward as his brimmed hat hid his eyes. With a small chuckle, he responded.

 **"Make us."**

The voice, who realized that the group wasn't retreating spoke again.

"Very well. You all have given me no other choice. Prepare to be destroyed."

Ain widened her eyes as Mihawk's blade suddenly fell in front of her face and catching the bullet only a few inches from her face. She didn't even hear a gun being fired. Several hundred bullets fell to the ground in the next second.

"It seems our attacker is firing projectiles that are not only silenced, but supersonic in nature," Mihawk said as he held Yoru in a stance.

"But firing was _the_ mistake…" he said as he closed his eyes. "The trajectory of the bullets gave away your firing position…" he called out to the fog.

" **One sword style: Second Flash."**

A large, green slash was sent by Mihawk, slicing through the fog and into the distance. The shaking ground and the sound of rumbling rocks alerted everyone that he had struck a rock formation of some sort.

The power behind Mihawk's swing was great enough to disperse the fog and revealed a cleanly-sliced formation and a masked sniper who was crouching a few meters away from ledge. He held a mechanical rifle that emitted a whirring sound every few seconds.

"You are fast enough to dodge my slash," Mihawk said calmly.

His suit of seastone platemail gave off a dark luster as sunlight broke through the sky, but what was most _bizarre_ was the man's painted mask. The man's mask was painted black on one side and white on the other. Paintings of flowers adorned the surface that only added to the ominous feeling that the man gave off.

From within his brown cloak, he held out a large horn. "Arise, my loyal crew!"

He blew a deep baritone sound that rumbled through the waves as enormous bubbles began to rumble around the ship.

"What a clever bastard…" Mihawk muttered to himself as he realized what was happening. "No wonder I couldn't sense anything."

One-by-one, gargantuan figures rose from the depths of the ocean, each wearing what looked like large, makeshift snorkels.

"We're surrounded by Giants!" cried Perona. The only one yet to react was Zoro, who simply looked with disinterest. He knew how this would turn out, but decided to let his crewmate have his show.

Countless armoured beings towered over the ship, ready to sink the vessel. "Prepare to be destroyed!" they shouted as they brought their weapons down.

" **One sword style: The Yellow Lotus."**

Mihawk spun Yoru around in a full circle, creating a large shockwave around himself and blowing everything away. The army of giants were fell backwards into the waters as Yoru was now pointed at the masked man.

"I guess it can't be helped," the man said as he cocked his rifle. He placed a single round into the chamber of the strange weapon, before taking aim. The 2 men stared each other down, daring each other to make the first move when suddenly a large gust of wind rocked the ship, and caught their attention.

"That's enough, Usopp," Zoro called out, sheathing his drawn sword. "We're running low on time."

"And just when I was about to get serious!" the man laughed.

Faster than anyone could see, the man suddenly appeared on the ship deck. He unmasked himself and brushed out his fully-grown dreadlocks into the wind. "You haven't lost any of your strength, even after 2 years, Zoro. I hope that impressed you enough." His eyes moved to the older swordsman. "Mihawk."

Mihawk glared at him.

"Nice to see you too."

Zoro sighed. Usopp's eyes then moved onto the three others. "Perona. Tashigi. Glad to see you two again," he said as he recalled their names. His eyes lingered on Ain a bit longer.

"The last time we met, you and your organization really gave us a thrashing," he said warily. "I don't think we've met ever since…"

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. If Zoro trusts you, then I can't say anything, really. Plus, we've got a mission to accomplish," he said. He then looked at the downed Giants, scratching his head as he did. "Uh, you didn't kill them, did you Mihawk?"

"I used the blunt end. They should only be unconscious."

"You have my thanks." Usopp was about to dive into the waters to rouse his crewmates before he paused. "We'll talk when we get back on the island."

* * *

The island of Little Elbalf was a lively one. After explaining everything to his awakened crew, Usopp had convinced them to throw a welcoming party. At first Zoro reminded him that they didn't have much time, but Usopp insisted that he formally introduce his crew. He introduced each giant (and weird creature), finishing by the time night came.

They finally came across a giant larger than any other that stood guard at the docks. He was more heavily armed than the others, both his armour and longsword as black as the night sky with white specks reminding them of the stars. He towered over the seas he kept watch for any sign of attack.

"That's my First Mate watching the docks, Marcus. He was the strongest giant on Elbalf and ruled the island like a tyrant… until I convinced him to join us," Upon finishing his tour, Usopp oddly decided to "cap off the party" with some of his "fireworks."

Usopp loaded several pellets into his strange slingshot before firing into the sky. The crowd took cover as several explosions lit up the night sky brightly. Each was as big as the moon in the sky and rumbled the sea with its shockwave.

Mihawk sighed and Zoro rolled his eyes as a siren was sounded in the distance.

"They have found us because of your party tricks," Mihawk scolded.

"Oh…" he said, not disappointed at all.

A large armada was approaching the island. Each Jolly Rancher was adorned with a skull, but a pair of chainsaws replaced the usual crossbones. It had roughly 50 ships, manned by New World pirates with a little bit of veterancy from what he felt. _Perfect._

"Ladies and gentlemen," Usopp began. "I am known for overcoming the unbelievable odds, or "defeating titans" as the World Government calls it. Watch as the amazing Captain Ackerman-"

"We have a time limit," Zoro interrupted.

"Fine then," he muttered.

" **Ultimate Death Star: The Equalizer."**

Usopp fired a round into the sky. Within seconds, the shell exploded blanketing the ocean in fire and burned down every ship. As the fires began to die out, they also began to condense together, forming a small yellow ball that floated gently on the water surface. Within a few seconds, the ball triggered a second explosion, sending a mushroom cloud rising to the cloudless sky. Everyone felt the intense heat of the still flaming ocean from where they stood.

"So each of the Straw Hats can take down an armada this easily. And we need to sail with them. Just great," muttered Perona.

Ain and Tashigi were the most surprised, even if they didn't show it. The last time they had seen this man fight, they had both deduced that he was by far the weakest member of the Straw Hats. Now said man has enough firepower to battle head-to-head with an Admiral.

"Let's get going, then," Usopp said, much more serious this time. He let out a deep breath. Killing was always one of the things he _did_ well, but never _took_ well. _He also had a duty to do._

"Captain," appeared the baritone voice of Marcus. Two briefcases dangled loosely in the giant's enormous hands. Usopp retrieved them, taking a brief moment to examine the contents.

"Lead the New Elbalf Pirates in my absence. When the time comes, I will summon you all. Make sure no one dies until then," Usopp said. For someone who didn't look fit to be a pirate captain at first glance, he sure knew how to act like one.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" the giants shouted in unison, loud enough to rumble the ground beneath them.

"Later, guys," was all he said as they all made their way onboard the Nebula. With a mighty bound, Usopp leapt to the crow's nest. Zoro took the helm as Mihawk unfurled the sea charts.

"Set sail!" Mihawk shouted. Ain, Tashigi, and Perona all took their places as the ship left the island.

"So where to next, Vergil?" Usopp asked.

"We're hunting down a goddess."

* * *

A group of marines lead by Vice-Admiral Yone had recently received a distress call and followed it to a certain island in the New World.

"Is this… the Sunny Archipelago?" remarked one Marine, having seen it for the first time. It was nothing like they had imagined. They all pictured the scenery to be as beautiful as the legends say, but this... The fires... The dead wildlife... The countless number of fishes floating above the ocean's surface.

The island was _dead._

The female Vice-Admiral ignored the mutterings of her crew. Instead she focussed on the message burnt into the ground.

 _"This is a warning. Send the 12, and they will share a fate similar to all those who stood against us._

 _P.S. Sorry about the privateer. He was quite the handful."_

"We'll take our chances, Straw Hat," Yone said as her subordinates approached the subdued Quiet Samurai. "Send the Chainsaw Bounty Hunters after them."

* * *

 **A/N: First of all, for those of you who are observant, there were no female Vice-Admirals besides Tsuru in the current timeline. So why introduce another one now? Because it's 2017. We respecc women.**

 **As for introducing Usopp, some of you may be confused by his personality and be turned off by his lack of "idiocy," but let me explain. Given their ascension to the top of the pirate world, I don't think the "outrageous lying" thing will work for him anymore. I mean, come on, given the things that have happened (at least in my story), the dude's got as much outlandish truths as he does lies. And for that same reason, I don't think I can accurately depict him as a cowardly character. Otherwise, I'll be left with enough plot holes to match the word count of this story. I'll probably find something else to give him more depth, but what I pull from the actual One Piece universe as of now, this character model is the only thing that its got going for him. (And his overpowered-ness. I actually have some storyboards drawn up where he fights off an Admiral.)**

 **I'm a dude with a plan… not a working one, but still...**


	6. Chapter 6

**I was taking a shower when I thought of this question: How will Oda end One Piece? Well I have 2 theories, one: Luffy becomes Pirate King, dies, and a new age of pirates is unleashed. The other Straw Hats will either die along with him, or escape and go into hiding, effectively restarting the series, but with new heroes/heroines.**

 **The other theory is that Luffy becomes the King, and they continue sailing until everyone's dream is accomplished, which I think makes the most sense. Given the pace that the story is moving at, it's likely that the Straw Hats WILL reach Raftel before the crew's dreams are met. I mean, Nami's World Map? Chopper's "cure to all diseases?" Otherwise there will be more plot holes than there is rice in my bowl right now.**

 **Given that rant, I've come to a conclusion that technically, my story CAN be considered canon should Oda end the story when One Piece is found. **

**TL;DR: I am greatest writer alive. I'm a fucking genius or something for coming up with this idea, wtf.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Straw Hat Plan**

 _Breath in. Breath out. This had become almost routine for him. The bubbling of the lava and the occasional thunder were the only other sounds to break the silence. But this was only natural given that he was in the most isolated part of the Grand Line._

" _Not many are capable of sneaking up on me, and even fewer know where I am found," the man spoke out loud. "But you're not normal by any means."_

" _Hello Vergil," the woman said. "It's been a while."_

 _Zoro sighed. "Did he send you?" The woman gave a slight smile._

" _He did. I'm letting you know that she's on her way and it's time to set the plan in motion." There was a brief silence. "And I know you've been getting a little restless sitting here on your own, so I left a… tail."_

 _This earned a grin from Zoro. "Thanks," he said as he let out a breath and returned to his meditation._

" _Zoro…" the woman said, breaking the silence. "We all miss you…" A sudden wind grew._

" _I know…" he responded solemnly as flower petals broke off into the wind, leaving Zoro once again alone in the silence._

* * *

"A battle royale?" Tashigi asked.

"Yep!" Usopp responded. "This is the perfect training exercise!" All the women groaned.

"But it's hardly fair when the three of you can crush armies." Perona protested, only for Ain to interject.

"That's fine with me. I want to see how my training's going, and how well we can stand up to people like this."

"I second that," Tashigi added, leaving Perona pouting.

"If the two of you want to get stomped so badly, then sure why not?" she said as she surrounded herself with hollows.

"The rules are simple," Mihawk added in. "You are eliminated if you admit defeat, or fall overboard."

"We'll survive, Perona" Ain said with a grin.

"Plus, I don't think we're going down as easily as they believe," Tashigi finished, also grinning.

Usopp matched their grins.

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

Mihawk merely yawned.

Perona sighed.

"LET'S BEGIN!"

* * *

While a "battle royale" usually entails several parties fighting without holding anything back, it was clear that the trio were doing so. But still, to create sword slashes that stretched on for kilometers across the sea? Or to unleash freaks of nature with one's attacks? They were on leagues of their own.

Which was why Perona was perfectly happy that they were fighting each other, and not them.

"I've gotten better, haven't I Vice-Admiral?" Tashigi teased as she sent another slash at her. Ain let the attack hit her, and was sent flying backwards only to recover with a roll. Rather than respond, she merely brushed her shoulder as the cut began sealing itself.

"Not bad. I felt that one," she smirked, irking Tashigi.

"Don't forget about me~" Perona sang as several dozen hollows began surrounding the two women. " **Super Hollow Kamikaze!"** she cried as her hollows exploded, catching the attention of the male members who looked over.

As the smoke cleared, Ain was holding her palm out. " **Modo Shift,** " she said as she emerged unharmed. Both of her daggers were unsheathed.

"Uh-oh…" Perona said before running off screaming with Ain sprinting after her.

Seeing that Ain shifted her focus to Perona, Tashigi sent a moderately sized slash towards the trio of Mihawk, Usopp, and Zoro. Mihawk intercepted the slash and deflected it across the ocean.

"Trying to say something, kid?" he smirked.

"I think I can at least give you a run for your money, Sensei," Tashigi responded. Mihawk chuckled.

"Is that so?"

"And what if the answer's yes?" she shot back. Mihawk suddenly appeared right across from her.

"Then so be it," he laughed, as he sheathed Yoru and unclipped his knife. "Although if you want me to take you seriously, you need to work for it."

As the duo began their battle, Usopp shifted his aim towards Zoro. "It's been awhile since we've fought each other,"

"And still, you don't stand a chance, Usopp," Zoro said as a black cutlass formed in his grip.

"We'll see about that." As he finished speaking, he fired several pellets that enveloped them both in a massive explosion. This forced the remaining fighters to leap backwards away from the blast, other than Mihawk and Tashigi who merely cleaved through the flames.

"Your swordsmanship has grown immensely and your offensive power is quite fearsome," Mihawk commented as he continued to block, parry, and dodge Tashigi's blade. The last block, he put a little more force into and pushed her back. Tashigi's eyes widened as Mihawk began sheathing his knife and the Black Blade came off of his back. "I wonder how your defence is coming along?"

Mihawk launched several flying slashes at her with Yoru. She deflected them, gritting her teeth as she put her full weight onto her sword for each attack she parried. It was clear that Mihawk was holding back, but even his half-hearted attacks were extremely _heavy._

Mihawk closed the distance between them faster than she could blink and a quick upward swing dislodged her sword from her hands. A fluid spin followed where he created a small wind wave that blasted Tashigi across the ship. She recovered with a roll, but was on her knees, panting.

"Your training is coming along nicely, but you've got a long way to go before you can stand with the greatest sword masters in the world," Mihawk said as he returned to his original stance. "Ready for round 2?" A brief gust of wind caught his attention as he turned around.

Zoro was _staring_ at him from across the ship. Mihawk returned the glare. "It seems that I have another student to put in their place…"

Usopp paused as he sensed something huge approaching from beneath the ship. "Sea king attack!" Ain shouted as an enormous winged-shark flew out of the water and hovered over the ship. While the others put their battles aside for the moment, neither Mihawk nor Zoro seem to notice.

"It's good to let loose every now and then," Zoro said as his black cutlass faded away and his cursed sword in its place. This earned a laugh from Mihawk.

"All I ask is that you take it easy on this old man,"

"It's huge!" Tashigi shouted as she appeared next to Usopp.

"It's annoying! That's what it is!" Usopp shouted back irritatedly.

Usopp groaned inwardly. The shark was at least 3 times the size of their ship and was now firing its teeth at them. And not only that, but Ain was busy consoling the frightened Perona leaving even more problems for him to deal with.

But what annoyed him the most was that the two swordsmen still haven't moved. "Sure, leave everything to Usopp while you guys just stand there and do nothing," he grumbled as he loaded his seastone rifle, but it was at that moment that Zoro and Mihawk dashed towards each other.

The sheer force behind their blades were enough to rock the waves. The remaining members of the crew had to steady themselves as the gale force winds nearly blew them off the ship. As for the flying shark... it was blasted far off into the sky.

"I guess that's that," Usopp chimed in as everyone regained their footing. But that was when the remaining sharks rose above the water.

"Oh come on! How unlucky do we have to be to sail through a sea king nest?!" Usopp asked to no one in particular. He let out one final, resounding sigh as he adjusted his goggles.

"We're eating sharks for dinner. No complaints."

Ain and Usopp fired their guns. Tashigi sent her flying slashes. Perona detonated her hollows. A few slashes from Mihawk and Zoro connected here and there.

* * *

"Good training session everyone!" Usopp shouted, earning groans from Ain, Perona, and Tashigi. The battle royale had ended as soon as Perona detonated the sea king nest with her hollows. It was at that point that Usopp forcibly separated the 2 swordsmen to chew them out for not helping. Both shrugged, claiming the crew had everything under control. Usopp gave up after that.

"Anyways, I hope everyone is prepared for the grand battle that we'll be fighting soon!"

"Battle?" Ain asked a little confused.

"Yeah, didn't Zoro tell you?"

This earned confused glances from both women as Perona looked on with the same expression as they did. "I feel a little out of my depth here…" she said.

"Yeah, so do we…" Tashigi remarked.

As Usopp noticed their expressions, he nudged Zoro. "We'll be right back," he said. "I just want to clarify some things."

As he went into the ship, Tashigi shot Ain a look. "I know it's been awhile since we fought Keiro, but he told me some things that I think you should know."

"Is it about the Straw Hat plan?" she asked. Tashigi nodded.

"Still out of my depth here," Perona chimed in.

Tashigi decided to answer her. "The Straw Hats are planning something huge, but Zoro isn't willing to tell us. Keiro-"

"Tape face guy?" she interrupted.

"That's the one," Ain answered.

"Anyways," Tashigi continued, "He warned us that whatever the Straw Hats are planning, it could destroy the world. I can't really trust him, but Zoro's isn't really making a good case for himself either."

"Other than keeping his plan secret, he hasn't done anything to lose my trust yet."

This set her off. "How can you trust him so easily?!" Tashigi shouted. "The stakes are too high to put my faith in him. We could be helping him destroy the world for all we know!"

"But there's also the chance that he won't. Until he does something otherwise, he has my trust." The two glared at each other until Tashigi turned away with an "humph."

"But the chance is still there," she retorted as moved below deck.

"That's the Marine mindset of 'taking no chances,' everyone," said Perona. "But I'm surprised you're ok with him keeping secrets. "

"You're ok with it too, aren't you?" Ain asked.

"I spent 2 years on an island with him, Mihawk, and a tribe of sword-wielding monkeys. I can trust him with just about anything, even directions now, but I'm a little more curious about you."

"When I was searching for Zoro a few weeks ago, I wanted to ask him if I was still hesitant. But I guess part of me was also wondering why he left me alive all those years ago." Ain took a breath. "I guess I trust him because he spared my life for whatever reason and I think I owe him that debt."

"You know," Perona began. "When I first arrived on Kuraigana Island years ago, I always thought Mihawk was grouchy and mean, but it took me some time to figure out that he was actually _bored_. Nothing seemed to excite him anymore."

Ain didn't interrupt, wanting to see where Perona was going with this.

"But every time Zoro's name appeared in the papers, his face would always light up. When I asked him about it, he told me a story about a swordsman that he fought in the East Blue of all places, a man with unlimited potential," she said as she thought back.

/

" _What are you reading this time, Pigeon Eyes?" Perona asked as she spun around the room._

" _Quiet," he said sternly. "It's the weekly paper with the updated bounty list. It seems that they really had to send Kizaru to Sabaody after all..."_

 _Perona observed him closely as a sudden grin began to grow on his face. "And I think I know why…" he said as Perona flew beside him to get a better look._

 _Her face morphed into surprise, then anger, then sadness as she saw a familiar green haired swordsman along with the crew that she had recently fought._

" _No! No! No! No! No!" she cried as she spun around the room. "This can't be happening! Them of all people?!"_

 _Mihawk let out a hearty laugh that was uncharacteristic of him. "See this green headed man, Perona? I want to tell you a story!"_

 _/_

"He told me that he spared Zoro because he wanted to see how far he would go in this crazy world. To give your successor a push at his youngest stage, doesn't that just excite you? Mihawk will never admit it, even at his grave, but the time he spent training Zoro at Kuraigana Island was the happiest he ever was in his life."

Ain contemplated this.

"Maybe Zoro let you live because he sees the same potential in you? Why snip a life when it's still a larvae when it can become the most magnificent butterfly?"

Ain stayed quiet for a few minutes as she took everything in. "You know, Perona. You're actually really good at this counselling thing," she said with a smile.

"Thanks. It's a hobby of mine,"

The two were interrupted as Usopp appeared with a megaphone. "Crew meeting!" he shouted, as Ain and Perona covered their ears.

As each member sat around the blackened table on the ship's upper deck, they could only wonder what this was about. The last to arrive were Zoro and Usopp. Mihawk, for once, was out of the loop in this conversation.

"Let me be the first to say, that while Zoro can cook, fire cannons accurately, trek through an enormous amount of educational material, repair ships, and navigate, through New World weather no less, he lacks the fundamental skills to be a Captain," Usopp scolded, surprising everyone.

As the 2 sat down, Usopp continued. "A crew without a direction will ultimately succumb to the sea, regardless of how strong or knowledgable they are. We're changing that right now.'"

Zoro sighed as he looked into the eyes of the confused table members. "He's right. At this point, no one knows why we're sailing other than to reunite the Straw Hats. If you want to know everything, I'm willing to tell all of you."

A few seconds of silence pass before Mihawk rose from his seat, surprising all but Zoro and Usopp. "I'm not interested. Reuniting the Straw Hats seems like a valid goal to me, and thus our journey _has_ a direction. As for the reasons why, I couldn't care less," he said as he returned to the cartography room.

The next to leave was Perona. "Better that I don't know. His tastes are too weird for me," she said as she sank through the deck. Only Ain and Tashigi were left at the table. Though the others had left, Zoro paid them no mind. He didn't expect them to stay anyways.

"Alright, listen carefully…" As he was about to continue, Ain was the next to stand up to their surprise.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, Usopp gave a confused look, and Tashigi mouth went wide.

"I know whatever you're going to say could shake the world, otherwise you would've told us earlier, but... " she began. "I trust you enough that whatever happens you'll be willing to accept the consequences for."

As she finished, she began walking back to the study. Tashigi, seeing everyone else leave, sighed and left the table as well.

" _I'm surprised, Ain. I honestly didn't expect that to happen,"_ she heard. When she turned around, she noticed that Zoro wasn't facing her, but Usopp was with a grin.

* * *

"Alright listen up, you bastards," Usopp began as he and Zoro set the dinner table. "Any concerns that don't involve our recent "talk," please voice them now." When he heard no response, he continued. "Good. I can't believe we waited this long, but we need proper roles on this ship."

Zoro nodded. "The Nebula is a supership that was constructed by our very own shipwright. In terms of absolute firepower, not even the Sunny can match her. That being said, she's only been awake for a week and she won't be at full power yet anytime soon. She needs a reliable crew to keep her running until she is."

"Roles," Usopp began. "Being alive, the ship can do most things itself when she is fully awake. But even then, she is nothing without a captain. Any objections to Zoro?" Silence. "Good."

"Next, as it's made of solid darkness itself, it needs dark matter to sustain itself," Zoro said. "While we won't get some for quite a while, we need a supply of dark elements."

"Like negativity?" Perona asked.

"Yes," he responded. " From time to time, you'll need to feed it some hollows. It will keep her running smoothly until we obtain some dark matter."

This caused Perona to pout. "Not my precious friends!" she cried half-heartedly.

"Mihawk," Usopp began. "I'm assigning you our official powder monkey. Grab cannonballs for me whenever you get the chance."

A look from Zoro and an even more dissuading look from Mihawk changed his mind. "...Or you could be our quartermaster. Nothing wrong with that…"

"We need someone who is familiar with New World level sea charts. For that reason, I am leaving Ain with the navigation."

She nodded.

"Tashigi has experience working with ship fundamentals. We'll leave the anchor, cordage, and sailing to her. She will also helm the ship until then."

"As ship sniper, I will be the ship's lookout. Questions? Comments? Concerns?"

A bored collective "nay," had the crew stand up and shuffle towards the doorway. Dinner continued as normally as it could after that.

* * *

A few days have gone by since then. Each member had gotten used to their daily routines by now. Under the watchful eye of Zoro, the Nebula sailed the New World as smoothly as a living embodiment of darkness could. Aside from a few sea king attacks here and there, everything was relatively quiet.

"That's it," Mihawk instructed as he parried another swing from Tashigi. "Channel your anger. It gives you tenacity, but controlling it gives you strength." Tashigi had seemed irritable in the past few days, and Mihawk decided to incorporate that into his lessons.

The crew were currently catching a tailwind, and so it gave them time to rest. As Zoro went to the kitchen to prepare their meals, Perona used the opportunity to refuel the ship.

"Goodbye, my sweet hollows," she sniffled. They let out a collective groan as it was absorbed by the ship. "I'll never forget any of you."

With that done, she floated back onto the main deck. Oddly enough, the weather had been clear in the past few days. While she normally liked the gloomy atmosphere of Kuraigana and until recently, the ship, a nice day in the volatile New World was always welcome.

The strange thing was that it's been 4 days straight. That much sun in the New World is a little suspicious. Whenever she questioned Ain about the weather, she it was strange as well, but there were no anomalies in her calculations. This all was happening naturally.

As the crew went inside for lunch, Perona couldn't help but wonder about the climate. She was no navigator and her understanding of weather was basic at best, but even she could tell that this wasn't natural.

* * *

"Alright, listen-"

"Can it," said Perona. "You've done the same introduction every single day now. Either come up with something new, or we'll let Ain make the announcements from now on."

Zoro finished preparing the meals as everyone sat down. While it may be odd for the ship captain to cook, everyone just went with it. Given the skillset of the current group, the only other alternative was canned food.

"Fine," Usopp grumbled. "As you all have noticed, we've been hitting a sunny patch since, um… always and I have no idea why," he finished anticlimactically.

"I've read a book about a patch in the New World that is sunny all year round, and I think we're sailing through it." Ain said.

"There are some stationary auras that I've locked onto," Usopp added. "At the rate that we're sailing, we'll hit them in 8 days."

"Some islands, perhaps?" Mihawk asked.

"Possibly," said Zoro. "Follow the auras and find its source."

* * *

"You're getting pretty good, Violet," Zoro said as he was unfazed by Ain's haki-enhanced kick. The Nebula was strong enough to sail on its own for brief moments. This gave the crew the opportunity to relax. Ain, however used the free time to train with Zoro.

"Your Armaments are stronger than before, and your observation can actually track me now. I'm actually impressed"

Ain leapt backwards before entering another stance. "Damn, I forgot you can use the 6 Powers."

"All of the Straw Hats can," he said as he lifted his left foot backwards. "Even our allies can use some of the skills,"

As Zoro kicked forward, a large blade of wind was sent towards Ain, who dodged it easily enough with a soru.

"Well that leaves just few more to learn. Either myself or Usopp can teach you. Mihawk too if you can convince him. But, If you want to continue training with me, I'll expect nothing less than perfection."

"Fair enough," she smirked.

"Very well, we have 8 days until we dock. What should we get started with?"

"Let's keep sparring, I think I can give you a run for your money this time,"

A rare chuckle came from Zoro. "You're a million years too young to fight me." Zoro materialized a black cutlass. "But you're welcome to try."

The session went as well as she could hope for. Ain had shown abilities that caught even Zoro by surprise. From infusing her bullets with her Devil Fruit powers, to her improved mastery of her daggers, she could probably fight off several Vice-Admirals if needed. But for all she knew, Zoro was training her as if she was going to take on the Fleet Admiral himself. At her own insistence.

"You've been pushing yourself a lot harder than ever before in the past few days," Zoro remarked, catching her attention. "While I'm not one to complain, I can't help but to be a little curious."

"Call it a feeling, but something big is going to happen. I want to be prepared when it does."

"Crew meeting on the upper deck!" they heard Usopp shout. "Now!

The rest of the crew gathered around Usopp who looked stone-cold serious. That was a _very_ bad sign.

"What is it?" Mihawk said, as he suddenly appeared. No one was prepared for what came next.

"She's gone. Tashigi has left the crew."

* * *

 **A/N: Why shouldn't a Captain cook? "Red Shoes" Zeff did it.**

 **Some of you may be bring up my decision to let Usopp take charge when they were assigning roles and wonder why him rather than say Mihawk, but my reasoning is that he's the only other Straw Hat besides Luffy who has experience leading a Pirate crew at the moment. People could make a case for Mihawk, and in terms of sailing experience, he definitely outranks Usopp. But at the same time, the dude's been a one-man crew for as long as we seen him, in both the manga and the anime. Even if he had a crew in the past, I'd say Second Mate Usopp was a better choice.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Leggo!**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Troubled Runaway

" _I am really grateful for everything, but given the position I'm being put in, I don't think I can travel with you guys anymore. I'm conflicted whether I can trust Zoro as the person, or Zoro as Vergil. These feelings are eating me away._

 _I know it's a very vague reason for leaving, but the insecurities grows worse the longer I stay on this ship. Thank you Mihawk for agreeing to train me. And to Ain and Perona, thanks for being my friends even if it was short. I hope we meet again._

 _And finally, you're the leader of this crew, Zoro. I hope no one else leaves like I did. That's your job."_

As Ain finished reading the letter out loud, she crumpled the letter and threw it into the sea. "Fuck!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Zoro stayed silent as Keiro's words echoed within his mind.

"What's the call, Captain?" Mihawk asked, interrupting their thoughts.

"Keep sailing." Everyone turned to Usopp who met their hard eyes without flinching.

"What?! Why?" shouted Perona. Mihawk just closed his eyes as he understood what Usopp meant.

"First of all, it was Tashigi's decision to leave. It's disrespectful to the choice she made if we go after her. She'll never forgive us."

"Okay, but do you have a better reason?" Perona asked.

"Our destination is moving for some reason." Zoro answered. "If we don't follow it now, we'll be stuck in the New World without a heading until our Log Pose finds another magnetic field to lock onto."

Usopp nodded, understanding the consequences of leaving more than anyone else. "Going backwards is only going to waste time. We gotta keep moving forward."

"Then I'll go by myself," Ain said. Everyone turned to her. "We can't leave Nakama behind." For a few seconds, no one spoke a word. As Ain's courage began to run out, Zoro let out a sigh.

"Fine. I'm not going to let either of you recklessly sail the New World alone. We'll find her, then we'll meet up at our final destination."

"And how exactly are you going to find us?" Usopp asked.

"I've got something in mind," Zoro answered in which Mihawk and Usopp simply nodded in understanding.

"He's remained dormant for a year now. Are you sure you've recovered enough power to pull that off?"

"I'm not sure yet, so I'm counting on you 3. Once you get to the islands, let your Haki flare. I'll home in as soon as I can."

"Fine then," Usopp said. "I guess we'll see you then."

Zoro nodded before motioning Ain to follow him below deck. As they reached the lowest level, Zoro opened a door to a room who's shelves were filled with bottled ships.

"I have quite the collection of prisoners from years of sea battles."

Ain realized that by prisoners, he meant actual _ships_. Each vessel sailed on in the miniature seas that the bottles bound them inside as if they weren't trapped within their prisons.

"They're all ships that I've captured over the years. Marines, Pirates, Bounty hunters. Some of them have quite the vessels that don't belong to the depths."

As Ain took note of what he said, she noticed a missing bottle among a row of ships.

"She took the Purple Orchid, huh?" Zoro said as he scanned his collection.

"Purple Orchid?"

"It's a Class-2 battleship that belonged to an Admiral that I respected. She can travel anywhere on the ocean as long as the navigator is competent enough to helm it."

As Ain looked through the numerous bottled ships, there were definitely some that caught her eye.

"Is this the Raft?" she asked with surprise. In a bottle was a fairly large square platform made from nothing more than a few planks that were tied together clumsily. A single mast stood in the middle. _But looks can be deceiving._

"Yeah. Blackbeard's ship when he sailed the New World. I collected it after our battle at the Locker. We'll use it to look for Tashigi."

Zoro took the bottle off the shelf and walked up to the main deck. As Ain was about to leave, a certain ship caught her eye. She looked over her shoulder. Zoro had already left.

She stashed the bottle within her cloak.

* * *

"What took so long?"

"The ships were fascinating."

Perona laughed. "So you found the weirdo's collection! He has some quality ships though, not going to lie."

Zoro ignored her. "As soon as we pick up Tashigi, we'll meet with you guys."

Usopp closed his eyes. "She's travelled quite far already. But if you're taking the Raft, that's not going to be a problem."

The Nebula shook slightly as Usopp held his hand on the wheel and flared his Haki throughout the ship.

"And the Nebula's almost at full power. We'll hit the islands by the time she's fully charged. I guess we'll see you then, Marimo."

Zoro scoffed as he uncorked the bottle. "Try not to die while I'm gone."

Usopp flashed a grin. "You as well."

A slight storm wind stirred as the Raft was released from its bottle. Shaped like a simple, wooden mat floating on the sea, but off of it radiated an ominous aura.

"Let's go," Zoro said as he disappeared before materializing on the Raft. Ain was about to do the same before Usopp's voice caught her attention.

"Wait a second, Ain." Usopp said as he handed her an ornate chest. "Zoro asked me to give these to you. Some old toys of mine, but you'll find them useful."

Ain smiled in return. "Thank you."

As their ship slowly faded into the horizon, Usopp chuckled. "This will be a good experience for him. Zoro needs to work on his human skills after all."

Mihawk went to the chart room as Usopp took the helm. He held out a log pose and it shook as Usopp infused his Haki with it. He tossed it to Perona.

"I've locked into our destination with my Observation and linked it to this log pose. Steer the Nebula in the needle's direction and we'll hit the islands in a few hours."

"That leaves our part finished, but how is Zoro going to find us then?"

Usopp shifted a glance at her as he took hold of the wheel. "Oh. He's going to use the Dimensional Cut technique to cut a wormhole from his location to ours. Sounds cool, right?"

"That's not even close to the craziest thing you've told me so far, but you know what, I'm not even going question it due to my status as a simple role-character in this grand story that is being told."

Usopp blinked. "You're even crazier than I am, woman."

* * *

The Raft drifted along the sea, as Zoro sat cross-legged in meditation. The craft gave off a purple colour in the waters it touched. Ain opted to keep watch for dangers in which Zoro said there was no need.

"Unless you're onboard, anything that sees or touches the Raft dies in 42 hours."

Ain nodded as she sat cross-legged beside Zoro. She flipped open the box that Usopp handed her, and grinned. Zoro opened his eyes, sensing his partner's excitement.

"You're welcome," Zoro said in a bored tone. "You've heard of the Dogs of War, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Ain answered. "They were built by Loki as a means of exterminating armies in a single volley. I can't believe you convinced Usopp to hand these over."

Ain retrieved the twin pistols from their compartments, taking in the red and black paint that adorned it. She adjusted the grip, loaded a strange set of magazines into the guns.

"Orthus," Ain said as she finished, and cocked the pair of pistols. "They're called the Orthus."

"Smart girl," Zoro commented as he returned to his meditation. "They don't require ammo to use. The Dogs absorb the chaos around them to form projectiles. Orthus builds His own bullets."

"Useful," Ain said as she returned the off-handed comment to Zoro.

"Useful enough to keep you alive just a few seconds longer in battle if you keep running your mouth, cheeky brat," he shot back as he continued meditating.

"You make it easy, pops," Ain said as she repackaged the pistols and pulled out her book.

"That explains why you also want to find Tashigi and bring her back, more than any of us. We're all like one big, dysfunctional family to you,"

Zoro sighed as Ain broke him out of his concentration. "You all may not see me as your guardian, but as the captain, it's my duty to look after everyone." A brief pause. "Even those who don't consider us family."

"Let's hope Tashigi still does."

"She's a troubled child. Marine instincts tells her what her heart doesn't want to believe. I should have told her the truth earlier."

"Is that regret coming from the great Wolf Demon?" Ain remarked, causing Zoro to chuckle a bit.

"Well, if you've been through half of the adventures that I have, that's a guarantee. But family turning against one another definitely leaves a sting."

"We'll make things right with Tashigi. Promise," Ain said in reassurance. Which caused Zoro to raise an eyebrow.

"You better, because you're the one that's gotta knock some sense into her."

"We're here," Zoro said as the Raft came to a standstill. The island that they had landed was both gloomy and mountainous. The clouds blocked off the sun and rain continued to fall as the duo made their way inland. The trees lacked life and the muddy ground looked untouched for ages.

"She's here. Tashigi stopped moving a while back and is on this island."

Ain closed her eyes. "The island's interfering with my Observation Haki," Ain said. "I can't trace her."

Zoro closed his eyes in focus. "This way," he said as he motioned them to a barren field near the mountain base, where they saw the object of their search standing still with her back turned.

"You guys followed me," Tashigi said as she turned to face them. She held a stern look at the duo as the rain continued to pour.

Zoro stepped up and slowed when Tashigi gripped her sword. "Come with us. You've got some explaining to do."

"I don't like being lied to, Zoro," Tashigi said as she looked down both of them. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?"

"Because you're not going to _like_ the truth."

"Then I have no reason to go back with you!" she shouted as Tashigi drew her blade, the ground rumbling as she did. Zoro took note of her rapidly growing power.

"The hate and the pain make you stronger the more you draw on them," Zoro said as Ain stepped forward with the Orthus loaded. "But your pain is nothing compared to ours."

"We'll see then. I figured out what you are, Zoro. You're _injustice_." Tashigi brandished her blade towards Zoro. "I want a _duel_."

Zoro's eyes hardened, now glaring at the woman in front of him. "I assume you know what the difference between requesting a _challenge_ and requesting a _duel_ is, correct? I am giving you a chance to withdraw your statement."

"No."

"A duel it is then. No mercy, no holds barred." Zoro said as his Haki flared above Emperor levels, twisting the air around them. "And one of our lives becomes forfeit by the end of this."

Before either could make a move, Ain stepped in between them. Their surroundings calmed as the two swordsman diverted their attention to her.

"I'll take care of this, Zoro. I dragged you here after all. Fathers shouldn't need to watch their children fight."

"Right," Zoro said as he sheathed Shodai and walked away. Neither of them could have seen the teardrop fall from Zoro's eyes as he headed back to the Raft.

"I'm your opponent, Tashigi." Tashigi remained silent as Ain drew her daggers.

"If you support him, that makes you injustice as well, Ain."

"Pirate," she smirked as Tashigi charged with a battlecry.

* * *

Zoro had waited on the Raft for several hours, thinking about past events that all lead up to this point. From seeing Tashigi smile when they first reunited with Mihawk, to seeing the doubt inflicted onto her by Keiro, then finally her betrayal.

 _Betrayal_.

He never liked that word. He was no stranger to it either having experienced it many times throughout his life.

Immortal, and all-powerful. But Zoro always had a big weakness that anyone could exploit. He cared too much about his Nakama. Permanent or otherwise.

Over the past few minutes, Zoro heard the shouting and clashing die down. The battle was coming to an end. With a heavy sigh, Zoro stood up from his meditation and walked back to the battlefield. He already knew who won; the victor had been decided even before the 2 women clashed.

Ain was straddled over Tashigi, her dagger plunged hilt deep into her opponent's chest. Both women had numerous cuts, stab wounds, and bruises layering every part of their skin.

"You know… we could have avoided all of this…" Ain said in between breaths, as she stood up. She didn't bother trying to retrieve her dagger. Her eyes looked up to see Zoro walking slowly towards the two of them, his black coat flowing as he did.

He took a seat beside Tashigi, who attempted to sit up as she noticed the man nearby. She groaned in pain as Zoro looked on with hard eyes.

"You said that you wanted to know the truth, Tashigi. Well, here it is: I'm dying." This caused both Ain and Tashigi to react in shock.

"Vergil is slowly eating away at my life force and unless I can work out something with him, I'll be dead in half a year."

"Why the secret then?" Ain asked, as she regained her breath. Her entire being was in pain as she stood, but nothing was life threatening.

"When I die, Vergil will be unleashed onto the world and he'll be a threat once again. He'll sink islands, and ravage the seas," he shot a look at Tashigi. "The end of the world."

"The Strawhats…" Tashigi managed to say.

"And the strongest people in the world need to gather to contain him. When I die, they'll have to destroy Vergil. I can't have anyone interrupting the gathering."

"That's why you kept it secret..." Ain nodded in understanding. "Damn…" was all she could say. Zoro stood up and drew his sword. In a quick swing, he blasted the storm clouds and rain away, leaving a twilight-like atmosphere around the island.

He stood over her before speaking. "Tashigi, I thought you'd have a little more faith in me." Zoro said as he began walking back to the ship. "Wrap things up, Ain."

All Ain could do was stare at the prone form of Tashigi. Tears threatened to spill out, but she kept a cool face. "You know, family isn't meant to do this to one another," she said as she began walking away.

"The rules of the duel, Ain..." Tashigi began. "You didn't kill me yet..."

Ain's eyes hardened and she crouched next to her. "That's what's worrying you at this point?" she asked as she pulled the dagger out and tossed it away. Tashigi shouted in pain as she clutched the wound.

"Fine then. If you take your hand off, you _will_ bleed out and die," she said. "You are excommunicated from this point on, Tashigi."

Tashigi watched her friend's outline slowly disappear over the rising sun as she held her hand tightly over the wound.

* * *

 **A/N: Well I can say that this arc ended successfully, if you guys can even call it that. Zoro and his ragtag, bootleg group of bandwagoners are going to hunt down a goddess next, which some of you may already know who it is. (I mean, who else could be narcissistic, greedy, and prideful enough to make themselves a goddess?)**

 **I will end this chapter with a quote from the greatest philosopher of the modern era:**

" **The ting goes skrrrahh (ah)  
Pap, pap, ka-ka-ka (ka)  
Skidiki-pap-pap! (pap)"**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello everyone! How are you all doing? My name is Harry, and Levi asked me to put together this introduction for all of you! Levi is preparing to take the MCAT this Summer, so he is swamped with work (Not really. In fact, he was camping outside of the Supreme NY store last night). Yet, he still found the time to write this out, only to toss it to me saying "Yo, hoe. Write up some random shit for my introduction."**

 **He is calling this update a "bridging chapter," but really it is just code for "too lazy to write a full chapter." Nonetheless, as according to Levi, at this point you should be questioning whether Zoro truly is the protagonist. Or is he the villain? :thinking**

 **While I am at it, here is a random fact about Levi: he used to be a part of a gang.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark**

 **The Most Wicked Man in the World**

"Daddy! You're home!"

"Hey there, sweetie!" the man said as he swept his little girl in a circle. "Missed me, did 'ya?"

His daughter nodded fruitfully as she tugged him on her way into the house. "Come on! You're late for supper! Mommy's tired of waiting!"

The man only scratched his head bashfully. "Sorry, sweetie! My mission took longer than I wanted it to. Let's see what mommy's cooked up, yeah?"

As the man was lead into the kitchen, he was met with a strong embrace that caught him slightly off guard. "Welcome home," the voice said softly. "For 6 months, it's just been me and Sarah. I'm so happy that you're back, James."

Rear-Admiral James Newwater returned his wife's embrace lovingly. It had been a rough 2 years in the New World. The sector that his brigade patrolled was an area where radio communication never got through. Couriers and messenger ships were the only other option, but the dangers of sailing that deep into the New World meant that HQ had to be _very_ selective of departures. But given the short term nature of his mission, it was decided that such measures weren't necessary.

For 2 years, it was just him and his team in some of the most volatile waters on the planet. _And some of the things he's seen…_

"Daddy! We're ready!" Thankfully, his daughter's voice broke him out of thoughts. Both her and Esther have finished setting the table and were waiting for James to join them. _Right. He could worry about this later._

"So dear, how did your mission go? I'm sure that Sarah will sit down from her chair if you tell her a good story," she laughed. As he looked over, Sarah was hopping on her chair excitedly, and James just caught her as she slipped.

"Woah, careful there sweetie," he chuckled. As he sat his daughter down, he continued. "Now do you want to hear a funny story?"

His face grew a wicked grin and he held his hands to his ears for emphasis. "Or do you want to hear a really _scary_ story?"

Esther laughed at her husband's antics as Serah repeated chanted scary story.

"Alright then," he began. "Let me tell you the story of _the most wicked man on all the seas!"_

* * *

 **The Hanging**

Roranoa Zoro looked wistfully at the sky. Hues of red, orange, and yellow decorated the clouds as the smell of the sea invaded his senses. The roar of thousands, the conversations so diverse he couldn't make out their individual voices if he didn't focus in on them. He took note of the way the scenery before him looked, the way it sounded, the way it _felt_.

And finally, he took note of the rope hanging before him. The gallows.

"Roranoa Zoro. You are hereby sentenced to death for the crimes of piracy. For the thousands that you have killed, and the millions that continue to fear your name!" the Admiral shouted.

The thousands of witnesses that crowded around platform's base and along the town square roared with approval. Screens and cameras surrounded him, broadcasting the execution for the millions around the world to see.

He was sure that his crew was among those watching. Whether they were here personally or not, it didn't bother him. Each Straw Hat's face passed through his mind as he thought of the various reactions that they would have.

 _Would they be angry? Disappointed in him? Perhaps even satisfied?_

Whatever they would have felt, this was not how they would have expected someone like Zoro to leave this world.

The Admiral lifted his hand, silencing the thunderous shouts of the crowd below. "I suppose that the prisoner should have his last breath forever marked in the pages of time as a warning to those who would follow in his footsteps."

Zoro took a deep breath. There was no fear, no pain, in his eyes _._ He took a brief moment to sway the heavy cuffs that wrapped his arms behind his back. As he thought, they were secured tightly. The execution squad took their places and the noose was hung around Zoro's neck.

"Roranoa Zoro, do you have any final words?"

A deep silence spilled over the island. People around the world held their breath, not wanting to miss the last words of the Pirate King's right-hand man.

A full minute of silence passed before Zoro finally spoke.

"I am giving you all 1 minute to release me, or _I will sink the island_ ," he said ominously and at the same time, rested his head lowly against the noose. "Start your timer."

 _*CLUNK*_

The lever was pulled and Zoro felt the trapdoor cave in beneath him and the world sank into the darkness.

A few thousand more died that day.

* * *

 **The Man Who Sold the World**

"No…" Perona began shakingly. "That… it… that can't be true…"

Usopp simply hummed as he continued helming the ship. "Well it is, Perona. Zoro is in every sense and definition _a monster_."

"And you still follow him despite what he's done?" Perona asked in exasperation.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did that mean Zoro really was just using them? Was Zoro really that sick and twisted? She thought back to the dinner from a few nights ago. Did that mean anything to him at all?

"Well, personally I am on his side on this particular issue," Mihawk spoke up from the other side of the Nebula. "I am with him, not because he was my student, but because I agree that he _did_ do the right thing under the circumstances. Usopp, however, is a different story..."

"Don't be mistaken, Mihawk," Usopp began. "Blood Mark or not, I agree that Zoro did the right thing as well."

"Blood Mark?" Perona asked.

"Have you ever heard of the expression ' _don't make a deal with the devil_ ,' Perona?" Mihawk asked. "Well, Usopp _has_ a working 'contract' with Zoro at the moment and he's bound to him until he's completed the conditions asked of him."

"No," Usopp spoke up. "I've met my end of the bargain and the deal was completed; the Blood Mark is just a reminder. It's my own choice."

The thundering of storm clouds ahead interrupted their conversation. " _She_ on the other hand, doesn't agree." Usopp let go of the wheel and sat in a meditative pose.

Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky and torrents of rain began crashing down into the oceans. An enormous tidal wave slowly began rising above the seas, threatening to send the Nebula to the depths. "Mihawk. Perona. We're here."

With that, Usopp flared his haki.

* * *

 **No Sound Without Silence**

Ain arrived at the shoreline to find Zoro waiting for her.

"Enough with the facade. I want to know everything," she spoke. "No more lies."

"And that's the other reason that I chose you. You can hear the _Voice_ , although not very well yet. You _know_ when I'm lying."

Ain stared at Zoro impassively. "You said Vergil eats away at your lifeforce, but that isn't true, is it?"

"There is no distinction between _Roronoa Zoro_ and _Vergil_. Those 2 entities are one and the same. While they may have been separate beings at one point, they now inhabit the same spirit. We do not feed off of one another."

"What _are_ you exactly?"

"That is a very simple question to answer: I am Vergil, the Sea Devil. The immortal and all-powerful ruler of the New World ocean. My soul is as timeless as the very waters that we sail on."

Ain took in his explanation. "If you're so powerful, why do you still need us then? Couldn't you accomplish your goal without our help?"

"While I may have lied about Vergil, there is an actual plan to all of this. You each have your individual roles to play, and this includes both _Tashigi_ and _Perona_ as well."

"You meaㄧ"

"Yes." Zoro answered. "Whether she knew or not, I did account for Tashigi to leave our crew."

The island suddenly shook violently as an _object_ crashed into the ground several feet away from them. Whatever it was, it had an enormous aura that rivaled an Admiral.

"But I wonder if she could take the truth?"

As the dust began clearing, a demonic, shrill screech echoed across the seas and a spider web of cracks began tunneling all throughout the island. _It couldn't be…_

"You're late," Zoro called out, oblivious to the ruin around them. Ain stood speechless as she watched the familiar figure trudge out from the smoke.

" _Just o_ _ne question, Boss…_ it growled lowly as it moved towards them. " _What kind of fucking name is "Branch-Branch Fruit?!"_

" **The** **Quiet Samurai" Keiro**

 **The Sunset Pirate Crew**

 **Blacklisted Pirate (Unspecified Bounty)**

 **Vibrate-Vibrate Devil Fruit**

* * *

 **Leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter! Levi is actually considering choosing people at random to write the A/N to some of his stories since he usually does not write anything useful there.**

 **He also said Relapse Effect update coming tomorrow, but do not quote him.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I thought of something funny to put in the Author Notes but I forgot lol. Sorry for the delay fams!**

 **Chapter 8: Calypso**

* * *

"What is going on?..."

Everything seemed so surreal to Ain as she faced down the enigmatic pirate. The tattered rags that Keiro once wore was now replaced by flowy dark robes and a silver-adorned cowl. Occult-like diagrams were painted in white in several places.

Keiro must of felt the chill running down Ain's spine as his eyes immediately flew to her. "So the little runt hasn't gotten herself killed yet has she?" he chuckled lowly.

"That's enough, Keiro. Report." Zoro demanded.

"Hmph. Very well, captain. I have retrieved the key from Vice-Admiral Yone. We are good to move on."

"And Yone's fleet?" Zoro asked as he faced the sea.

Keiro gave a wicked chuckle. "Well…"

/

"Vice Admiral Yone, the prisoner is currently being loaded into the brig. Keiro is secure."

"Thank you for the update, Captain Kiin. You may be dismissed."

Giving one last salute, Kiin left the room.

" _Sunsets foreshadow future events…"_

Immediately, Kiin went on the defensive. His eyes wandered around the dimly lit corridor back towards the crew quarters. There was nothing but mould growing on the creaky wooden walls.

" _The evening falls and sunset comes. This little crew stands no chance against our might and will be swallowed into the horizon like the sun."_

The voices in Kiin's head continued whispering to him. Tempting him.

" _Sunset's aren't always so pretty. The day get colder, the night grows stronger and all hope fades away into the pitch darkness that we call night."_

"Keiro. Your mind games won't work on me," Kiin said as he continued walking forward. "Once we take you back to Marineford, your privateer license will be revoked and you will be put on death row."

" _And such a fate may fall upon me,"_ came the raspy voice. " _But I will make sure that as many souls there are on board right now will be gone by the time we reach our destination."_

Captain Kiin's eyes widened.

" _In fact, I've already started…"_

There was no time to lose. Immediately, Kiin sprinted through the twists and turns of the ship's hallways. Any marines standing in the way were pushed aside, all wondering what had gotten into their once fearless second-in command. But Kiin paid them no mind.

The sound of a large wooden door slamming open echoed around the metallic structures within the ship brig. Kiin was too late.

He saw the numerous bodies motionless on the ground.

" _The chains weren't meant to immobilize me. In fact…"_ Keiro began as more… red essence was leeched from the dead marines around him. " _Zoro put them on me to drain enough life force to restore me to full strength. You are indeed too late, Kiin."_

"... Right," Kiin said lowly. The ship alarm sounded off as Keiro broke out of the glowing red chains and sent his cage door crashing through the wooded walls ahead of it. Immediately, the entire brig was filled up to the brim with fully armed marine soldiers.

"Not really, Keiro..."

"Captain?..." one of the marines said in confusion as Captain Kiin turned towards them.

" **I'm not too late to join in on the fun..."**

/

" _And so I am at full strength once again, captain."_

"That's good. And Julius?"

" _He is off to awaken the Worm God. We'll hear back from them in a bit."_

"Then we are set to meet with Ackerman." Zoro said as he unsheathed his sword. With a swing as quick as the eye could see, a straight, white gash in the fabric of reality appeared in front of him. The Raft swirled with black energy before spiralling into a bottle held in the outstretched hand of Keiro.

"Ain, come with us and we'll explain everything," Zoro said as he beckoned the group to follow him into the now fully expanded portal. Once Ain stepped inside, she noticed a path stretching forward into the endless horizon of the inter-dimensional plane. The walls around her warped into incomprehensible images every second and gasped as the portal closed behind her.

" _Don't worry, little runt,"_ Keiro said. " _Just think of this place as a highway to wherever we need to go in this universe. That is the power of Vergil's Dimensional Cut technique."_ When Keiro noticed that Ain's eyes refused to leave his, he held his hands up in surrender.

" _Fine, fine. You want to know about Zoro's plan? Well let's start with me. In case you don't know already, I am a member of Vergil's original pirate crew called the Sunset Pirates and one of his Horsemen."_

Now Ain had had heard legends of the Horsemen of Apocalypse. There were four in total, each powerful enough to take down Marineford on their own. It was said that they each traded their souls to a sea devil for their near limitless strength. But Ain knew what Zoro was exactly and now the legends all made perfect sense.

" _I serve as War, the battle commander of the Sunset Pirates. The other Horsemen you will meet very soon…"_

Zoro was listening very closely to the conversation behind him, but paid it no mind. They were almost at their destination and he knew that this was his decision. There was no turning back.

A bright flash of light enveloped the group as they continued walking forward and before Ain could realize it, they were standing on a sunny beachhead with the Nebula anchored on the shore right behind them. The luscious green on the trees and grass, as well as the vivid colours of the island bombarded her eyes and she felt as though she was on the Sunny Archipelago once again.

"Greetings," came a female voice. A tanned skin priest approached them adorned with white robes and gold jewelry. "I am Anushka, the high priest of the goddess Calypso and I know what you seek, Sea Devil. Disarm yourself and I will take you to her." Zoro sheathed Kitetsu and the rest of the group to followed behind the priest into the vast jungles ahead of them.

Ain's question seemed to be answered without asking as the high priest spoke up. "You are in the Climate Triangle, home of the Weather Monastery. I will be taking you to the peak where the sea goddess, Calypso resides."

"Calypso?" she asked.

"It seems that you are not too familiar with the workings of the deep New World, but that is as I have expected," Anushka responded. "The deep New World is different from the rest of the Grand Line, from the New World altogether. We have our own system of governance here."

" _And that is through strength alone."_

"That is correct, Silent Samurai. Think of the deep New World as a haven for the strongest pirates in the world. They decide the rules, their subjects, even what information passes on into the rest of the world. That's why so very little is known about us."

"You're pretty strong too, aren't you Anushka?" Ain asked.

The high priest chuckled in response. "I suppose so given my standing in the Sea Goddess' court. I ate the Seer-Seer fruit and I am a seer woman. I can see one week into the future or past with absolute certainty, so is the limit of my power."

As she finished, the group stepped into a clearing filled with various noises. Before them was an enormous temple of sorts. The building looked completely futuristic with all the technology embedded into it.

There were four towers that stretched high into the sky, each with a golden orb resting on top. In a few seconds, the group watched as electricity bubbled on from the orbs before lightning arose from each, striking the singular golden orb at the centre and sending a bolt high into the heavens. All during this time, the area surrounding the complex buzzed with the sounds of talking clouds, animated lightning, and various flying animals.

" _I'm going to eliminate all of the scum around us, the sounds of weak brings pain to my ears."_ Keiro growled angrily as a singing bird accidentally smacked into him as it flew by.

"Not a very wise choice, Keiro," Anushka spoke up. "Your captain is here for something and killing the citizens of Weather Monastery will not gain him any favour points with the goddess."

" _Then I'll kill her too_."

"Enough, Keiro. We're trying to do this with as little conflict as possible."

"Well, well, well," came a familiar voice, both to Zoro and surprisingly Ain as well. "I didn't expect to see you again, Vergil. Came crawling back, did you?"

"Calypso," Zoro said.

"Sea Goddess," said the Weather Monastery denizens as they all bowed low in the presence of the voice.

But another name left the mouth of Ain as she recognized the unmistakable orange hair flowing down the woman's face.

"Nami."

* * *

"Where's Usopp and Mihawk?"

"In the monastery dining room. But you're not welcome to come."

"Still angry about that, are you?"

Nami's face darkened. Her familiar weather-bubble producing staff was clutched in her hands, but something was different. The sky blackened considerably as lightning and thunder roared across the sky. "Cat Burglar" Nami never had that ability as far as Ain knew.

"You. Tore. Our. Crew. Apart." Nami said, gritting her teeth with every word. "Of course I'm still angry about that!"

"I did what I had to," Zoro said in a low tone as his hands reached towards Kitetsu. "You think I that I like what I did?!" He exploded. "That becoming a monster was what I really wanted?!"

"Of course! Thousands of lives were lost because of your actions!"

Zoro laughed a sinister laugh as the glowing red blade was unsheathed. His green hair whitened and his kimino turned blue. **"Then you are correct."**

The island began rumbling and lava started to leak out from the cracks. **"The cycle must continue. But still, murdering a former nakama isn't an option yet so I'd like to avoid that for the time being."**

Zoro suddenly sheathed his sword as he turned away. "Don't forget that I came here on peaceful terms, Nami. I can still sink this island if I wanted to." As he did his appearance returned to normal. The rumbling stopped and the lava receded into the ground.

"Hmph. Whatever," Nami spat as the sky cleared and the sun returned once more. Having said that, Nami _flew_ into the air and back inside the temple.

"Ain," Zoro called out as he sat near a tree alongside Keiro. "Nami has no grudge against you so I doubt that she would keep you out of her monastery. Go join the rest of them and rest up while we prepare for the next phase of our plan."

Ain nodded as she walked inside the building. Immediately, she was pinned against the wall by a forearm and found herself staring into the furrowed brown eyes of Nami.

"You and I need to talk."

"What?" Ain muffled out.

"You shouldn't trust Zo-"

Before Nami could continue, Ain grabbed onto her shoulders and spun, slamming Nami against the wall and reversing their positions. Ain had a dagger against her throat as she pressed forward. Nami quickly flipped over her and swept her leg from underneath. Now fully in control, Nami held Ain down with her climatact.

"Zoro never told you about his plan, did he little Violet?" Nami said as she stepped backwards and let Ain get to her feet.

"Zoro is planning to kill my old captain Monkey D. Luffy, the current reigning Pirate King and I need your help to stop him."

* * *

 **The plan that I have been hiding for almost 16 months is finally revealed and things only get darker from here lmao.**


End file.
